Heir to the Throne of Roses
by red.nixon
Summary: Esther is princess of Albion and desperately in need of a prince and is being pressed to produce an heir. Abel comes home from his hunt to visit her and gets caught up in her love troubles. AbleXEsther.
1. Chapter 1 Prince of Pricks

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses **

**Ch.1 Prince of Pricks**

Introduction:

Well, as a quick catch up, the story picks up after Abel and Ion leave to hunt Cain. It's been five years since Esther was crowned princess and Abel and ion return to visit her. I won't say too much about the story because It's a spoiler but I do appreciate feedback so don't be afraid to review. Ok, here it goes…

In the Palace Gardens

"Your Highness!" A breathless page called through the garden of roses, each glimmering with dew drops like tears on their crimson skin. Her eyes were so lost in the maze of deep red, that she did not see the fiery hair of the princess of Albion, peeking above the low buds.

"Your Highness, where are you?" she called again. Running furiously, becoming dizzy with the color confusion, she stumbled and fell over a cushion of marvelous white.

"W-Wah" she stuttered, opening her eyes to behold the beautiful lapis lazuli eyes of the Princess.

"Your Highness!" she yelled apologetically, scrambling to her feet and bowing to the young woman. The page was only about 12 years old, and bit her lip at her clumsiness.

Princess Esther giggled shyly and smoothed her white gown. The corset that encased her torso was threaded with pearls, and shone like small stars in the sun. The page took a second to take in the beautiful gown and met her eyes urgently, babbling out in her small voice, "Princess, the Prince of Thorn is here to meet you."

Esther's radiant kindness dulled, her smile dropped. Listlessly, she swept a few stray hairs from her eyes and stood stiffly. Every day there was a new prince from any country unknown to her to come seek her hand. It was a tiresome game; Esther didn't feel she was ready to marry.

"I should have hidden better." The young princess said with apposite dismay.

Ever since she had turned 20, all Mary would speak of was her marriage. 'Child Bearing Age' was the word splayed across newspapers and magazines, attracting a swarm of arrogant of princes like wolves.

"Is your majesty feeling ill?" the page asked sheepishly, noting the dullness that overcame her. It seemed even the pearls stopped shining.

"Yes, I guess you could say she is." She mumbled.

Esther strolled to a particular rose in her garden, one of very few vines that bore the iciest of blue roses. Caressing the flower with her hands, she smoothed it's petals with her thumb. She imagined Abel's blue eyes, warm and gentle, falling on hers. She refused to forget them. Every prince paled in comparison.

The page stepped on her own feet in the uncomfortable silence. She was still standing at attention, and was antsy like any other child.

"The prince is waiting in the usual Parlor your Highness, I will go tell Maria I have found you." With that the page ran off, ducking under the arch of roses and into the Palace through the tangle of bridges and stone paths. Esther watched her skip, careless and free. She almost envied her in her age.

Esther sighed, giving one long look at the rose, she plucked it affectionately, placing it thorns and all, behind her ear.

"Prince of Thorn…" she scoffed out loud, "Prince of Pricks I'm sure."

Picking up her long gown, she took her sweet time walking to the Parlor where the Prince awaited his rejection.

On a train entering Albion

"Abel, you don't look too well." Ion's pubescent voice cracked.

Abel, lost in the countryside that flashed by, blinked hard and rubbed his temples. He had not slept since their last defeat to Cain.

"I'm fine. Just tired." He assured the young boy. He continued to rub his temples.

"I'm not a child Abel, I know what you feel. You can't let him continue to get to you. We both have long lives to see that he is destroyed." Ion pleaded with him.

"It's not just Cain that saddens me. It's been 5 years since I left Esther, she has no reason to welcome me." He said with the same hopeless voice.

"Psh, if it's not one thing it's another. This vacation is just what you need." Ion said impatiently.

"Maybe downtime isn't wise. He could be planning something big around this."

"Like what? Even he takes vacations I'm sure. You need this…_I_ need this." He said, thinking of Esther's sweet face now mature as the Princess. He blushed slightly.

"You're right." The lonely Priest sighed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes until they reached the station. How long had it been since he had a chance to breathe easy? 'Forgive me Esther,' he thought to himself, 'I just can't seem to do anything right.'


	2. Chapter 2 If Only

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Ch.2 If Only**

**At the Orden**

"Isaak," Contra Mundi asked the dark man at the controls, "Where is my darling little play mate today?"

"He is entering Albion sir." The iron voice of the Magician answered. Removing a thin cigarillo from his thin lips, he turned to face his master.

"Hmm." Cain said thoughtfully. His eyes shone deviously, remembering the girl who wept by Abel's coffin. He licked his leps, but not at the girl's body. If he was correct, she had been Crowned just before Abel deserted the AX. 'Thrilling' he thought to himself, 'how predictable he is.'

"Do you have any plans sir?" The man said humbly.

"Not yet Isaak, let's wait this one out. Get me eyes in the palace." He commanded coolly. The girl would no doubt welcome him in. He smirked at the entertainment a few days of spying would provide.

"Mechanical or flesh?" offered Isaak, spinning his lit cigarillo through his fingers, sending swirls of thin smoke up into the already clouded room.

"I _always_ prefer flesh." Cain said with a sneer, "The young Earl of Memphis, is he in Albion as well?"

"Yes sir, he is accompanying the priest."

Cain's excitement was visible. His teeth lengthened into fangs several inches long. "You make it _painfully_ easy for me, Abel." He half snickered in anticipation.

**Back on the train**

The train came to a screeching halt. The clumsy priest jumped awake, smashing his very high head on the overhead storage with a bang that frightened the nearby passengers.

"Ow ow ow" he whimpered, rubbing his red forehead.

"Finally." Ion complained, narrowing his eyes at the persist that just a minute ago was sleeping with his mouth wide open.

The train started again to a slow chug and braked, aligning itself with the station platform.

"Stupid trains." Abel muttered under his breath. "That wasn't even necessary."

"Ion?" he called quietly, looking up at the suddenly melancholy youth.

"Esther." Ion whispered aloud, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of fresh air. He wished he could breathe in her sweet scent, like moonlight. The sun was setting in stunning purple hues over the ancient city, and he couldn't wait to wash off the UV gel he was wearing. He felt his biceps with disappointment. Frowning, he strained his body to look larger, older.

The awkward priest noticed him checking himself out and said in his silly voice, "You know, Esther never cared too much for muscle men." He remembered her encounter with Father Leon, and laughed. "You don't have to worry about that."

"Yes but, Esther has aged so quickly, she's a...a w-woman now" he blushed and shook the thought from his head. "Like Astha said, terrans can parish so quickly in our lifetime." He admitted his worries sadly. A second passed in silence as Ion thought Abel was taking in the painful truth. He was wrong.

"Ohh" Abel said, frozen still. "So you want your chance while she's still young?" he teased in his goofy voice.

"I-It's nothing like that!" The irritable boy yelled, just about ready to club something into his goofy face.

"Attention all passengers, last call for Albion station MA2354. Boarding for MA5637. Thank you." The announcer said over the PA.

"C'mon, let's just go." Ion spat, fuming over Abel's immaturity. He secured the gunner cloak he was wearing and pulling the hood over his shimmering blond hair. He grabbed his baggage and sped out of the train and under the cover of the station. But the tall silver-haired priest still gathered his few bags slowly, pensively. A crease formed between his eyebows.

Ion would outlive Esther, and he would outlive Ion. Would he ever find the right time to tell Esther his feelings? He would remain alone. How many more years of hunting would it take to finally end the Contra Mundi? He could be killed again. Then Esther would be left alone either way. There was no fairy-tale ending for him. He either fought to eternity like Catherina said, or he died fighting the one who ruined his entire existence. He cursed his brother's name.

The train began moving again. The whistle blew outside, and the boarder rung the bell.

"Wait-wait!" Abel cried, scrambling out of the cabin and leaping out onto the station.

"Whew" he sighed. He caught his breath for a second, but not before he felt a Methuselah-strength tug on his ear.

"Fa- ther-lets-go!" Ion yelled, struggling to drag the heavy man along the platform an out into the streets.

**At the Palace**

"Lady Esther," Mary addressed the pouting Princess. "Is no one good enough? Do you know how many Princes have hung their heads in this room?"

"Too many." She repeated for what was probably the 100th time. The only thing she hated more than the arrogant Prince's and their pointless gifts was Mary's speech after each one.

"You do know that you must begin producing heirs or else-" she was cut off by a very PO'd Esther.

"_Produce." _She quoted her hatefully. "Like I'm some kind of factory!"

"You are not a factory but you need living blood in the Palace in case of a tragedy!" Mary finally spit out what she didn't want to get at. It was true, if Esther died, there would be a scramble to find a ruler. Like it was before, the Methuselah would revolt, the city would go mad. Mary's fists trembled in impatience.

"Hmph." Esther turned her cheek and buried her face into the cushions of the elaborate sofa she laid on.

"Oh!" Mary stormed off, at the end of her wits with the stubborn Princess. "God send me a miracle!"

Now alone, the tormented red head pulled the rose from behind her ear and twirled it in front of her sad eyes. Roses took forever to wilt after being cut, she marveled at its pale blue veins, fresh with a dreamy scent.

"Abel…" she spoke his name longingly. "I wouldn't settle for any other prince."

Esther closed her eyes to push the tears that were pooling in her eyes down her cheeks. She let them run, the heat collecting in her eyes. Sleepily, she held the blue petals against her lips and fell into a light slumber.


	3. Chapter 3 Reunion

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Ch3. Reunion**

**In Albion near the Palace**

Ion and Abel walked through a crowded street lined with shops and bakeries. The smell of baked cookies reached Abel's super-human nose.

"Mmmm" he moaned at the delicious scent of boiling blueberries and an assortment of chocolate fudges.

Ion folded his slender arms, "You don't need any of that human trash" Ion said to him, knowing a Crusnik only needed Vampire blood to live.

"Doesn't mean I can't have any." Abel retorted with his mouth watering, sneaking off sideways into the bakery called '_Augusta's_'. The glass cases held lime tartlets, apple strudels, moon cakes, and at the top row_, chocolate fudges. _

"Peanut butter, almond, cherry oh my!" giggled the priest, rubbing his hands together, awakened from his previous gloom. He pressed his gloved fingers against the glass and panted over the many flavors, fresh and wrapped in bright muffin paper.

"Excuse me sir, I'll need to ask you to calm down." said a sly girl behind the counter. She twirled a lock of crazy black hair and winked an emerald eye at him.

"S-Seth?" The bewildered brother gaped at his sister. The girl had on a dress that resembled a maid's uniform only much shorter, and of course, much more regal. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing some grade-A spying on our little Princess." She said, referring to the brave girl that also helped to save her Empire from a vicious faction attack. "Someone had to take care of her while you were gone no?"

Abel's eyes warmed. "I'm glad to see you again then Seth. Thank you."

"Father, we'll never get there in time if you keep-" Ion stormed into the bakery but stopped when he saw the Empress of his homeland behind the foolish priest. He bowed deeply, to the weird side-glances of the other customers. It seemed to be a holiday, and there wasn't a single citizen in their homes on this night. Ion rubbed a smudge of UV gel from his cheek and combed his hair with his slim little fingers.

"Evening Ion 3" Seth chimed like a string of bells.

Ion smiled in return and ran up to the glass case and leaned on his tip-toes to see her over it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked statically.

"Now C'mon guys, I'm not going to repeat myself, it's not important okay?" she had a catlike appearance whenever she smiled. She picked up on the molesting looks Abel was giving the fudge and scooped one up with a tong and placed it on the glass case.

"There's one for Abel," she said, biting her lip, she carefully pulled out a crumbling lime tartlet and piled whipped cream on it. " and for Ion."

"Thank you my savior!" Abel screamed, having no trouble in picking up his baby sister and squeezing the air out of her over the case. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"You're welcome you're welcome!" Seth struggled to free herself from his deadly grip.

Ion simply smiled one of his unique boyish smiles at her and thanked her in the Methuselah tongue. He hadn't put on that baby-face since the day Radu betrayed him. Seth rubbed the top of his little platinum blonde head lovingly and angled his head to the side.

"_You look stronger, tougher_." She said in their tongue.

"_I Hope to become the warrior Esther is worthy of." _He replied, puffing out his chest and cheeks.

Seth laughed lightly and flicked his forehead. "_Good luck my son_."

"So," she continued in English, "I'm guessing you're here for the Carnival?"

"What, no. To be honest I didn't even know Albion was in Carnival right now." Said the priest, savoring the fudge.

"So then you're here for Esther?" she cried excitedly. A glimmer of deviousness appeared in her eyes.

"Yes." Abel said, taking a deep breath and fixing his gun. Being up against the glass case, it was beginning to dig into his leg. Now though, it rested at a horribly awkward angle. Some of the girls in the café began to snicker and whisper to their friends.

Seth continued, suddenly interested, oblivious to the situation it looked like they were in.

"Are you here to court herrrr?" Seth sung?

"Oh please, I'll be lucky if she even said hello." Abel cupped his face in his hand and continued to pick at the thick fudge block.

"Something tells me she will." Seth said firmly. Her eyes darted away from Abel to the growing line of impatient customers. She blinked rapidly and called for the other worker girl to assist her.

"Well, promise me you'll come back tomorrow morning okay?" she said quickly.

Ion was the first to answer her "Of course, I'll be here early."

"Agreed." Abel said, shoving the whole block of fudge in his mouth, and assuming it was a freebie, waltzed out of the Bakery with his gun creating an embarrassing lump through his pants and ion jogging behind speechless and flushed completely red.

**At the Palace**

Princess Esther woke up from her long nap and wiped the tear stains off of her cheeks. What time was it? The golden grandfather clock on the wall read close to 9:00, her bed-time. She wasn't tired anymore, and didn't know how she was going to fall asleep after a day-long nap.

She rolled over in the cushions and found the blue rose she had been sleeping with. It was horribly mangled from her tossing and turning. '_I'm sorry Abel' _she thought sadly. She was heart-sickeningly lonely.

Standing lazily, she regained her balance and stretched. Outside, she could have sworn she saw something move. She froze for a second and watched the trees. Nothing. She was still alone, even from thieves. She shrugged it off as her light headedness and made her way to the dining hall.

On her way, she heard a small commotion in the main entrance. He recognized Mary's harsh voice and then a meeker one. She continued to walk, but her mind caught on a word she hadn't heard in 5 years. It could have been something else, but she was almost certain it was 'Nightroad'.

Picking up her dress and knotting it on her side, she dashed, still dizzy from sleep, to the door. Her heels clacked loudly on the marble floors and she feared she might be discovered. In a frantic effort to reach the outside gate, she ditched the lace heels and dived though the front door and into the grass of the front gardens. She flinched at the cold wet mud that she was slopping around in, kicking it up on her still knotted dress. Her arms swung so fast, they ripped at the lace of her corset. It was safe to assume the dress was ruined. The spotlights of the security tower flashed on her as she ran as fast as she could to the gate.

Standing in front of the locking mechanism, Mary turned to follow the bright spotlight to the princess, now approaching the gate with her eyes shut tight, and face sickly white with exertion. Esther's whole body shook with the impact of her heels on the hard pavement. The night wind chilled her deeply, she would cough if she had enough air. Closing the last of the space between her and the gate, she crashed into it as a brake.

The tall silver-haired figure on the opposite side of the golden gates stared at her with deep ice-blue eyes.

Esther laughed in relief, completely out of breath. Then as the man bent down to see her face to face, she began to sob uncontrollably. Kicking in emotion, Esther thrust her pale arms through the bars and pulled the man into a tight embrace. She rubbed her arms down his back and back up again, all harshly, relishing that he was in front of her, that he was real. Tangling a hand in his satin hair, she sobbed into the man's chest heavily.


	4. Chapter 4 Not even a mouse

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch.4 Not even a Mouse**

**At the Palace Gates**

Esther sobbed uncontrollably into the priest's warm chest. His hand slipped through the gate as he embraced her back. She rubbed her face in his scent. It was impossible to put into words her emotion for him.

"Esther." He whispered knowingly. So much for not expecting a hello.

Mary didn't know what to make of the Princess. Not only was her dress a sad mess, but she was barefoot and splattered with mud. Ion stood defeated, watching as Abel got all of the attention he hoped to have. A glimmer of jealousy shone in his eyes. This was their moment, and he knew now that unless she hadn't seen him, he would not be greeted this way.

He deliberately cleared his throat. Mary glanced at him awkwardly. She was holding them back from entering at this hour and without confirmation from the Princess, but I guess this was all she needed.

Esther gave him one final squeeze and broke away from him after what seemed like forever to the onlookers.

"Ion" she breathed through her tears, "You're safe1" she ran across the gate to his side and held out her arms through the bars for him. He took them sadly, kissing her hand and holding her tightly. It didn't work right. She smelled like Abel now. He pulled away early, with Esther still leaning into him.

"I'm so happy both of you are safe." She cried a bit more. Mary rubbed her shoulder and flipped the combination of switched to unlock the gate. It was obvious she would not part with these visitors tonight.

"It's late Princess, you should be reading yourself for bed. And what have you done to your dress."

"Ohhh, it was old anyways. " Esther lied, too distracted to care that it was a personal favorite of hers.

The gate opened and Esther launched herself, this time a bit more civilized, at the silver – haired priest. She swung him side to side gently and finally pulled away holding both of the men's hands and leading them in through the gate.

"Please come in, you _must_ stay the night." She pleaded with them.

The two nodded, Abel with a tender smile, an Ion with a sad one. Mary closed the gate behind them and quickly pulled Esther to her side, ripping their hands apart.

"Princess you must go clean and ready for the night. You have grown pale. I wouldn't want you to become sick suddenly." She deliberately dragged her alongside herself to the main entrance. Esther tried to put her feet down as a brake, but Mary pulled her stronger. The two puzzled men followed them up to the door. Once they were inside. They removed their jackets and hung them near the door. A short, white haired man came and took the two men's baggage, bringing it to a security room to e checked.

Mary undid the knot in Esther's dress to cover her ankles again. Smoothing out her corset and tucking in a bit of her chest that was slipping out of the top, she handed the Princess in to her personal servants to clean up. Abel stared in pain as he saw her being taken away against her will. He imagined that she was silenced a lot in the Palace. The young red-head kicked and struggled, but the maids carried her away with a smile. "Come now your highness, the rose bath is ready."

"But-But-But" she stammered, reaching out for her guests, particularly Abel. She knew it was past her curfew, she had to be in her bedroom at this hour. That meant no dinner, and more torturously, no Abel until the morning.

She couldn't take it, having him under her roof and being incapable to be with him.

"Good night!" yelled the Priest when the Maids pulled her around the corner. He thought he heard something yelled back, but didn't catch it.

"Gentlemen, my personal assistant will guild you to the showers and your bedrooms for the night as it is evident the Princess would like to have you here tonight." Mary recited coldly. She saw Esther's eyes for Able. If he was a prince, her troubles would end, but he wasn't. He was a man of the church that took a vow of poverty, and most importantly _chastity_. She would not allow Esther to be spoiled this way.

A strict looking woman in business attire walked with dignity to the two travelers and bowed lightly, leading them into the halls and to the opposite side of the palace from the Princess.

Abel had hardly gotten in two words with Esther. He tangled his fingers together as he walked, taking a painful side glance at a brooding Ion, obviously disappointed with his welcoming. Abel still had the fudge he brought for her as a humble gift in his pocket.

"Here is our room sir, the bath is within. If you need anything, a bell near the door summons a maid. Good night sir." The assistant of the she-witch Maria bowed and took the younger boy up a few doors and recited the same speech, letting him into his room and walking away into the silence of her office.

**Later that night**

Peeking one eye open, she checked the house-sized room for any maids. The coast was clear. Tip-toeing out of bed, she pulled away the blinds and checked outside the window, in the bathroom, closet, and even under her bed. She was finally alone. '_Not even a mouse'_ she thought to herself.

Still in her nightie, the small girl slid silently to her door, opened it a tiny crack and checked the hall. No maids or guards. Slipping through the smallest opening possible, she tip-toed, pressed flat against the walls, to where the hall opened into the back of the main entrance. Heart racing in her throat, she flattened herself on the floor and slipped under the elevated couches and tables. Sliding along on the marble floors, she saw the boots of a security officer sleeping in his post chair. Smiling, she stood and jogged on her toes to the opposite hall.

From there, she had to cover a lot of ground to get to the guest quarters, and any room could be Abel's. Biting her lip, she pressed her ear to the first guest door, no sound. She repeated this until she came to one room with the shower running. Gambling in her head, she thought about entering uninvited. If she waited until the shower stopped to knock, she could be discovered, or the knock could be heard.

Taking a leap of fate, she wrenched the door open and quickly closed it. She thanked the skies above for the oil in the hinges. Her own room door creaked almost on purpose. She mentally stuck her tongue out at Mary and her cages.

Seeing as she still wasn't sure who the room belonged to, she turned and looked around the room for any clothes or bags. '_Drats!' _Esther cursed in her head. Their bags were still being checked. Unless they undressed in the bathroom, there was bound to be some sort of proof somewhere.

ON the nightstand she saw the Priest's circular glasses. Squealing in success she punched the air. '_Successfully infiltrated the base'_ she thought merrily to herself. A little tingle of panic bubbled as she threw herself into the large couch in front of the lit fireplace. She was in Abel's room. It was dark. She crossed her fingers that she would not be caught. It wasn't what it looked like. She just couldn't coldly send him off and not say anything. No, she wasn't done with him yet.

Her heart stopped when she heard the pipes whining when the water was turned off.

'_Oh god, here he comes. What if he's naked? Oh no!' _she panicked to herself.

Planning for the worst, the girl curled up in a ball and covered her eyes.

The large wooden door opened slowly, steam from the hot water slithering across the floors.

Esther squeaked in preparation and shut her eyes tighter.


	5. Chapter 5 Playing with Fire

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch.5 Playing with Fire**

Abel strolled calmly out of the doorway with only a towel wrapped around his pale sculpted waist. Toothbrush still swirling in his mouth, he spotted a rather bright red cushion on the sofa across from him. Blinking several times, he saw the figure clearer through the steam pouring out of the open bathroom.

Choking on his toothpaste he grabbed at his throat in surprise,

"E-Esther?" he continued to choke and gag over the amount of burning toothpaste he just swallowed. He leaned on the fireplace for support.

"Oh my god!" Esther cried, running to his side and apologizing, patting his back feebly. She bit her lip, what if she killed him of blood poisoning, oh god.

"mhghgmghdgdh!" Abel yelled incoherently as his eyes almost popped right out of his head at her. Looking down at the thin silk nightie she was wearing he babbled out a strand of angry, and pained incoherent words, red as a cherry.

Running into the bathroom he spilled the toxic contents of his tortured stomach into the toilet and fell into the sink, rinsing out his mouth. All the while he was still trying to say something.

The mischievous princess checked outside in the hallway and saw a silver helmet race around into the wing. '_damn!' _She hurried to the closet and hid in the corner.

She heard the door open in the room and Abel continued to cough madly.

"Sir, is there anything wrong?" a guard called, bursting into the room.

"mhjgfjgbfjb" Abel replied frantically. When the guard saw the blue and green froth around his mouth and the dizzy look in his eyes, he quickly ran to his side. Abel was still gargling water.

"Sir keep rinsing, there's a first aid kit in the closet!" The guard began to approach the closet. Esther held her breath.

"No! I'm fine!" Abel yelled suddenly. The guard stopped with his hand on the doorknob and Esther heard his footsteps recede to the bathroom. Abel panted wildly for a minute, and then wrapping his towel tighter against him, spit the taste out of his mouth.

"I just swallowed some toothpaste is all." He said blankly, regaining his breath. The guard eyed him.

"Are you sure you're alright sir?" he questioned him.

"Yes, I just need to rest." Abel lied calmly. His eyes red from choking, he rubbed them and wiped the wet hair that was sticking to his face off.

"Yes sir. Take care of yourself." The guard bowed slightly and walked back out the door and to his post.

Esther crept out of the closet and shut the door behind the careless guard. Turning to Abel, she gave him a puppy-dog apologetic look.

Abel steadied his breathing as he stared painfully at Esther's body.

"What are you doing here? Do you know the trouble you could get us into?" He said, turning off the bathroom light and closing the door behind him. His face was urgent, almost jittery. His dirty clothes smelled like sweat and blood, he didn't want her to smell that. But he was trapped, in only a towel. He refused to slip into those clothes again. '_When are they going to bring me my bag?_' he though impatiently.

"I'm sorry Father I just couldn't…I couldn't sleep knowing you were here finally. I'm sorry." She dropped her shoulders, wringing her tiny white hands.

Abel couldn't resist her sad puppy face. Walking over to her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Okay, well, what were you planning on doing now?"

"I don't know." She said innocently, looking up into his glassy eyes, the color of the roses she grew in the gardens. "I was hoping we could catch up."

"Dressed like this?" the tall, more than half naked man pointed out.

Esther followed his figure to the towel and flushed completely red again.

"I was hoping you would have more clothes on you." She said shyly, looking off to the side to avoid his eyes. If she looked at them again she was afraid she'd explode from emotion. His eyes seemed to caress her.

Abel took his handoff of her shoulder and wrung out his long silver hair, letting large streams of water to run onto the floor. "You didn't dress for the occasion than." He said joking, referring to her revealing, semi-transparent nightie.

"Esther covered her face in embarrassment.

"I'm leaving." She said, wanting to disappear suddenly. '_Who was I kidding? Father's right'_ she talked to herself. She turned to the door but was snatched up suddenly by the warm arms of the tall man. Gently, he took her to the couch and sat her down, grabbing her heel and effectively crossing one leg over the other. To finish her off, her threw a large cushion into her lap, successfully covering her torso and hips.

"Father?" she said surprised.

"Now, you came all this way for something. Let's talk. For old time's sake." He said gently, sitting criss- cross apple sauce on the other end of the couch and hugging a long cushion himself. He smiled innocently at her. She was glad to see his old goofy self.

She returned the smile with a giggle.

"I've missed you incredibly." Esther spilled out. "I thought maybe something had happened to you. I…I couldn't hold back the tears when I saw you were safe."

"And I was so happy to see you too Esther. I've wondered about you for a long long time now. And I got to tell you, you've grown into a magnificent woman. Is it 20?" he said in his usual soft voice, cracking here and there.

"Yes, my twentieth birthday was a few months ago." She frowned at the memory of every the princes coming to court, but beamed at his compliment.

Abel rested his chin on the cushion and smiled at her, taking in her perfect features. He didn't notice he was doing this until Esther fixed her bangs awkwardly.

Snapping out of it, he quickly jumped up and made his way to the nightstand and pulled a little square of fudge from the drawer.

"I almost forgot. I got you a humble little gift." He said excitedly, handing it over to her, still in his towel. "And believe me, if I wasn't _very _close with the owner I never would have been able to afford it."

"Thank you!" she said happily and peeled back he bright paper to reveal a delicious looking square of chocolate with red specks in it.

"Cherry?" she asked.

"Rose." He corrected, his voice a wonderfully enticing honey tone.

Esther felt goose bumps rise on her neck. She couldn't help but shudder. His voice changed when he said that word. She wondered if he would speak like that again.

Seeing the effect his voice caused, he cleared his throat and sat back down with a light pink heat cloud playing on his cheeks. He watched intently as she placed her tiny lips to the block and nibbled at the edges. His heart raced to his tongue. Gulping, he chased away the thoughts that corrupted Esther's childish looks.

"Do-Do you like it?" he stuttered through his sudden thumping heart.

"It's wonderful!" she exclaimed quietly as possible.

"Good." He said satisfied. He wasn't used to her company, being away for so long. It hit him all at once like a ton of bricks. The towel felt tighter, he shuffled around under the cushion to get comfortable. Then, with an audible gulp, he realized why_. 'pull it together'_ he coached himself. '_I'm a grown man'_

Pressing the cushion down harder over his groin he tried to change the subject of lips, even though he was the only one thinking of them.

"So Esther, what have you been up to?" Wow, he thought he sounded stupid. She was the princess; it was safe to say she was busy.

"Nothing really. Mary wants me to find a husband. It's all she ever talks about anymore." Esther said accidentally. "Oops, never mind. I don't want to talk about that with you."

"Why not?" Abel said, slightly hurt.

"Well, It's just not a happy subject." She pleaded with him.

Abel's heart sunk a little. "I'm sure you'll find your prince Esther, they'd be lucky to have someone as well rounded as you. Brave, committed, lovely, intelligent, and strikingly beautiful." He added with dreamy eyes.

'_Oh Abel, If only you knew who I wanted_.' She thought with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

The princess hung her head and picked at the chocolate. Abel couldn't stop staring at her lips. The thought of any other man kissing them lit him on fire.

No one deserved her, sometimes he thought not even him was worthy of her. The fact that she was a princess never surprised him, it was obvious all along, she was celestial. He watched, mute as she spoke something, but he didn't catch it, there was no noise in the room, just her lips moving, her gorgeous eyes blinking. He tried to steady his thoughts. He remembered his vow of chastity. _'God those eyes, how bright, those lips…' _he stared as the firelight danced on them, mingling with the blue of her eyes. He couldn't help himself. '_Forgive me_' Throwing his vow aside, he gave in.

Dominated by pure instinct, Abel crawled on all fours closer to her on the couch and taking her chin in his hands, bore into her eyes before pulling her into a delicate kiss that sent him into flight. He felt the tickle of a moan slightly against his lips. Pulling his lips off of hers, he slid his hands up to her neck and closed in for a second kiss for what seemed like forever. Abel refused to let her lips escape him, not that she wanted to escape at all. He nibbled at her bottom lip with his, her soft, perfect lips, and captured them with his own. They fit perfectly like puzzle pieces.

He stopped when he felt his heart would burst out of his chest. He felt every pulse in his eyes, cheeks, mouth. There was never a moment purer, or more perfect than just then. His head swam in her intoxicating scent. Burying his head in her neck, he planted little kisses here and there, bathing in her sweetness.

'_If I'm burned for this it will have been worth it._' He thought, as he grazed his lips against hers once again and felt as her hand snaked around his neck and pulled him crashing into a much deeper kiss. A curtain of silver hair concealed them as he scooted closer, never leaving her lips. He felt the towel holding back the proof of his arousal. Closed his eyes and mapped her collarbones with his mouth, feeling her heart race beneath.

The girl tangled her hands in his long hair and broke from the kiss panting to catch his face. His eyes were lusty and glazed, his breath hot on her lips. She watched as he took in every inch of her face and finally met her admiring gaze, letting the passion in his eyes sink into hers. The flustered girl traced down the middle of his chest, exciting a little shudder from him. Pleading with his eyes, he brought his lips to hers again, this time licking them softly and cooling them with his breath. He repeated this a few times, and the sensation was so strong it made Esther writhe under him.

Opening her lips, Esther was sent spinning by the feel of their tongues wrapping around each other's for the first time. All restraint in Abel's mind shut down. He explored deeper into the girl's warm throat. She moaned at the length of his tongue. His blood boiled for the girl he had beneath him. He was playing with fire, he knew it. Esther wasn't his to take. It was consuming him the urge to have her. His hands, to her pleasure, slid down her chest to the dip just below her stomach and lingered there. Breaking from the kiss his toned body hovered above hers as he worshiped her figure.

"Abel…" she whispered breathlessly.

His eyes were not his anymore, it was not the goofy priest she knew, or the joker, or the father figure. She knew that he was breaking his vows, the same vows she had to break when she became princess. He kissed her eyelids and cheeks, all of her face but her lips.

Esther waited for another kiss that would send her drifting again. But it didn't come. After a cold second, Esther opened her eyes. Abel had crouched back on his knees and sunk into the couch, his face in his palms, seemingly crying.


	6. Chapter 6 Aftermath

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch. 6 Aftermath**

**Note: The song that Esther sings is called 'By your side- by tenth avenue north' If you listen to the song you'll see how perfectly it matches to Abel and Esther. I'm officially making that their song. Review if you think there is a more fitting song.**

The young red head held herself up on her elbows to see him better. Blinking several times, she hoped it was a trick of the heat. It took a painfully long time for her to register what just happened. '_Is he…crying? What did I do?_ _What is someone supposed to do in these situations_?' She watched as he broke down into flames.

Abel balled into himself, face tightly squeezed between his hands. She could see tears collecting between his fingers in the firelight.

His broad shoulders trembled under silent sobs. Esther rolled over to him and held her hand over his shoulder, not sure whether to touch him or not. She felt her throat tighten with his contagious sadness.

"Abel?" she asked with a strained voice. "What is it?" she could feel the urge to cry building into a knot in her chest. If she heard him speak in his injured voice, she would undoubtedly breakdown herself. Was he having second thoughts about her? She thought he loved her.

The tormented man lifted his twisted face out of his palms and let out the most agonizing wail. What was so sickening was that it was not deliberately loud, or angry. It was a defeated croak, all the pain withheld in his core compressed into a breath. His lover slowly wrapped her arms around his chest, now shaking herself with the urge to cry.

"Please…please." Abel said, his honey voice splintered. "Please, if you cry too…"

"How could I not?" Esther said with a trembling lip. "I don't understand." She searched her mind for what she could've done, and concluded that she was only a small bit of his pain. "What can I do?"

"Just…stay here with me, for a while." He said weakly, pulling Esther onto his lap to face him and holding her to him so tightly she lost her breath. She could feel the hot warmth of his eyes on her neck. His tears ran down and pooled in her collarbones. It was the slowest torture. Not able to bear this, she pulled his head away by his hair and glared at him. The man's tears stopped cascading for a second as he regained himself. The depth of his eyes seemed to continue to the back of his head.

"Abel," she called his name like she would when speaking to the roses, "you're a grown man. Why are you crying?" she demanded. She wasn't going to allow him to continue being this way. His was the old Abel, now he was going to have to change. She was going to make him.

"Esther I-" he explained, trying to pull her closer.

"No! I won't come near you again until you snap out of it." She forced herself to say the words she didn't mean.

"But I can't Esther." He began to cry again, how much pain had being a Crusnik brought him, "I can't give you what you want. I can't ever give anyone what they want. I'm not who you deserve."

"But you're who I want!" she shook his head. "Don't you get it? I don't want a prince. I never want anyone else. When you kissed me…all those years of loneliness disappeared. All the pointless faces I see, all the meaningless conversations I share never happened. I finally had you. That's all I ever wanted since the day you saved me. _Just you_." She stressed. Finding her strength, she wiped her tears away with her arm, still holding her love's head.

"I can't take you…" He repeated in a daze. "You don't deserve this…"

"Yes, yes you can. You don't have to have sex with me, that's not what I came here for." She took one hand from its grip in his silver hair and brushed the tears from his cheeks. It had climbed from that kiss so quickly.

"I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to just sit here and share breathing space with the one who's been the light at the end of the tunnel. Whenever I think I'll just marry some idiot to shut Mary up. Have a kid so that I can go jump off a bridge, I think of you. How if I would just have hope, I could see you again, alive."

His eyes began to shine again, the clouds of sorrow clearing away.

"When you died, I felt the world end. There was no longer a reason for anything. It was as if the world stopped spinning and everything was tipped over." She pulled his forehead to hers and pressed down.

"I _**never**_ want to see you this way again. You don't know what it does to me." She finished.

Abel blinked, stupefied. The angry hornets in his chest had settled. Somewhere in the poor man's head a demon whispered '_You'll outlive everyone. She will die in the blink of an eye. You were born to live alone.' _But that wasn't what Esther was saying. Abel struggled to believe her.

He roared violently, drowning out their whispers. Then, as softly as mist, he heard her tiny voice sing for the first time…

"_Why are you crying,  
Let me lift up your face,  
Just don't turn away,_

_'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall__  
__In the dead of night whenever you call__  
__And please don't fight these hands that are holding you__  
__My hands are holding you…_

_Cause I, I love you__  
__I want you to know__  
__That I, I'll love you__  
__I'll never let you go, no, no"_

Abel's heart beat to the melody of her voice. He'd never heard her sing before, never heard anyone sing this way before. The lyrics were not just words, they were the truth. He swallowed his cries and listened to her, panting softly. He felt the turmoil in his core cease. Her breath on his lips didn't drive him into lust or guilt. He pictured little silver-haired children running, Esther's face as she smiled at him. Smelled roses and the scent of her alabaster skin. Felt her warmth as she slept next to him, dreaming as he stroked her back. He saw vividly her breathtaking eyes when he closed his own. This was their love blooming, he knew it. He believed it now with every fiber of his being.

He rested against her forehead as she sung the last words to their song. The love he felt for her was not wrong or unreachable. It was perfectly possible. _'It was me all along.' _He said to himself.

Eyes still closed in peace, his felt a wave of numbing comfort as Esther's lips met his.

"Thank you" Abel whispered when she pulled away to look at him.

Esther responded with a tight embrace. The ex-priest sighed in bliss as their heartbeats crashed together. He held her there, in their cloud of unadulterated love.

"_I love you_." Abel breathed his feeling for her into her neck.

"I love you too." she said, and he could hear the emotion in her voice.

"But _I_ love you more." he joked. He felt Esther's cheeks stretch as she smiled.

"I don't believe you." she pushed him.

"I love you so much. I'm not going to lay another finger on you tonight."

"So how much did you love me when you did lay a finger on me?" she said with an edge to her tone.

"I was careless," he kissed her skin softly. "Ladies shouldn't be jumped like that."

Esther rested her head on his shoulder, tracing circles on his lower back.

"You need to go back to your room before someone suspects something." he reminded her.

"I don't want to leave yet." she pulled him closer.

"You got what you came for, I'm not leaving anyday soon."

"Alright. This time again tomorrow." she said, and kissing him one more time, crawled out of his lap and snuck back to her room.


	7. Chapter 7 Miss Delphine

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch.7 Miss Delphine**

**Note: The name I've chosen for the newest character is Delphine Lalaurie. If anyone has heard of her, she was a notorious New Orleans murderer. She is known for the mutilation and live torture of slaves. So the name is not 'pretty' like a friend of mine described it, but if anyone is interested in a scary story, read about her murders.**

**In the Orden**

"Miss Delphine my lord will see you now." Isaak opened the large brass doors to the Contra Mundi's main rehabilitation room. With a smirk, the shapely woman of about 20 dug prints into the floors with stilettos sharpened to a point. The magician, noticing for the first time her vulgar shoes, placed a hand on her well formed breast to stop her from entering.

"I must ask you to remove those." He said smoothly. His black hair veiled the fresh scar given to him by his master. She studies his face, being the kind to draw from inspiration.

"Not a problem." The girl said dismissively. In the blink of an eye, the steel stiletto heels morphed into black laced china slippers. The magician removed his hand, and the young Methuselah stepped through the doorway and into a large maroon bathroom. The floors were spotless glossy wood. His employer basked in a large tub of black liquid.

"Welcome Miss Lalaurie. Have a seat." The blonde twin of Abel said, rising from the black tar-like substance in the large bathtub and, not even bothering for a towel, sat across from the Methuselah, soiling the chair with the muck. The Magician held his breath at the mess he would have to clean, at risk to deeper wounds. Flinching, he closed the door to leave the two.

"Morning." She said in a raspy voice. It was pitch black outside.

"Your assignment begins tomorrow morning, I expect you to show decorum on this mission, and most importantly, self-restraint. If the queen is missing, I'm missing a very influential pawn on my board. Do you understand me?" he said with poison on his breath.

"Perfectly sir." She responded. A stray strand of hair was beginning to tickle her shoulder annoyingly. Without even bothering to flick it away, her eyes narrowed. She retracted her black hair into her skull. Checking her new bob on the polished floors, she fixed the several strays left long.

The Contra Mundi smiled in anticipation. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a slightly faded photograph of a tall red-head. Eyeing it nostalgically, he slid it across the table to her.

"This is the woman you will be impersonating. As for her voice, I will leave it up to your expertise." The tall man handed the shape-shifter the photograph of Lilith. Running a large ivory hand through his light hair, he tipped his chair on its back legs, aware but uncaring of his exposed body.

"I'm payed by the hour." She reminded him sneakily.

"I have no intention of granting you any more than the spared lives of your brother and daughter." She ground her teeth at him, hissing as he simply sat with that inhuman peace.

The hired Methuselah studied the picture intently, taking in the strong eyes and long flowing hair. Slowly, her skin began to darken, and hair growing longer and fuller into a crimson stream. The blonde demon watched her, grinning wider and wider.

He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them. The smell of his soak was so deeply embedded in him that he sweats it through his pores. He liked at the black fluid seeping from him, the fluid that ran through his veins.

"She had much kinder eyes. Merciful." He said cruelly under his breath.

"What was that?" the girl asked, tilting her new head to the side.

"Nothing you can help." He responded dully. The hired Methuselah was a notorious murderer, and highly paid prostitute. Expecting the same saintly grace and kindness he found in Lilith's eyes was beyond reasonable. "Though the piercings won't be necessary, or the tattoos. Just the face. And also, could you be about a foot shorter? "

The girl followed his critique. Awkwardly, her height crippled, first head, then neck, and body following in a wave.

"Yes." He sneered. "Also, could you look younger? 18?"

"The girl's face slowly morphed into a much childish face of the woman he murdered.

Standing, he circled around the woman, examining every centimeter of trial flesh. Shooting commands like, "shorter hair" and "no, greener." The Methuselah grew impatient, but didn't dare snap at the man that held her family captive.

The goal was not to make a woman that would crash Abel into tears at the memory of Lilith. It also wasn't the vixen the girl kept trying at. The main target was not Abel at all. The helpless idiot would simply be the finishing touch. There was no meaning in her appearance arousing Abel, her body was being designed to fit much younger tastes. She simply needed to be enough, to keep him from resisting for a second.

The final product was a beauty that Abel couldn't possibly ignore, without being one to distract him.

**At the Palace**

The glow of morning filtered through the intricate curtains, bathing the silver hair of the ex-priest. Having slept soundly for longer than he had in several months. Not counting when he passed out from exhaustion, this had been his most restful night's sleep. Blowing his unruly bangs from his eyes, he turned to face the incoming light.

The events of the night before danced behind his eyes. Sighing dreamily, he rolled on his back and looked up at the ceiling longingly. He pictured Esther's face on the cream colored wood. He mentally painted her twirling and laughing, and holding him close. Smiling like a fool in love, he sat up vigorously. He wanted his day to begin as soon as possible. It felt like Ney Year's, a day to start over anew.

Swinging his long legs out of bed, he stood and tightened the damp towel he had slept in. Too high with his own drug to care about his still missing bags, he pressed the bell for maid service. Apparently, it wasn't instantaneous. After a few minutes of pacing around the spacious room, the tall man plopped down on the long couch and kicked his legs up. The fireplace had died out to glowing embers, but today he produced his own warmth. Hugging a cushion to him tightly, he smelled in the lingering scent of his lovely princess.

Throwing his head back, he relived their kiss for the thousandth time since their lips parted. He would launch into Crusnik just to be able to pick up on the minute scents that human noses could not find in the air. Abel snapped back when he heard a knock at the door. Standing to open it a bit, he found a small red head.

"Esther?" he said happily. But opening the door further, he realized with wide, disbelieving eyes that the red hair was much longer and thicker. The young girl that smiled up at him shyly was not his love. Her eyes caused a kick in the man's gut. Looking devilishly at him, the maid handed him his bag and with a slight bow and sung in a voice completely pure. "Is there anything else my lord would need?"

Speechless the priest clutched his chest above his heart. The girl was the spitting image of his dead Lilith.

"Very well then." The servant began to walk away, oddly slow, as if giving the man time for a reaction. She counted by her advanced seconds impatiently. '_Damn terran'_ she thought.

"Wait!" Abel roared. The young maid turned to his voice with her best puzzled face. She hid the smile that threatened her lips as she stood overly close to her target. She morphed her eyes to shine like wet emeralds.

"What is your name?" Abel grabbed her shoulder. He looked awfully frightening, but to the Methuselah, a '_human_' like him was no match for her. She jerked forward as if his grip had made her stumble. The Contra Mundi had found the most talented bait for his latest scheme. She gasped innocently and laid her small hands over Abel's as if to protect herself. She felt him twitch under her delicate touch.

"They named me Lily. After my mother." The spitting image of Lilith winked at him. If she had the photograph of her model, she would most likely show it to him, just for kicks. But then again, that was not an action suggested by her employer. She knew that just one wrong move meant injury to her captive family. Resuming character, the girl dropped her sexy grin, and pouted.

"Your mother…" The silver-haired giant trailed off, loosening his grip on her shoulder. Seizing the opportunity, the girl bowed once more and skipped away before he could open his mouth to say anything else. He swore he heard a faint giggle.

Abel was left leaning out of the door. After a pause, he cleared his throat and slouched back to the couch, falling in between the cushions. He coached his mind away from the thought of Lilith having a child, or anyone else like Lilith on earth. Rubbing his palms into his eyes, he bent down to open his luggage. The clothes, searched thoroughly, had been thrown back in carelessly, leaving him with a bag full of wrinkled shirts.

He pulled out the untidy black robes to the light, feeling somewhat guilty to wear them. After all, last night he had officially resigned as priest. He was no longer working directly for the AX or for the church, and had committed more sins in attempting to defeat his twin brother that wearing a cassock while doing all of that. Tossing them back in his leather bag, he rummaged under the layers of balled clothing to find what he considered before to be 'outdoors clothes'. As a priest, it was mandatory to be out of his black uniform, but there were seldom times he needed the flexibility of ordinary clothes.

Laying out a slim fitting black V-neck undershirt, a little worn from work, and a pair of black pants. He was forced to wear his AX boots, which he didn't mind wearing, but ripped off any plating that involved crosses. Slipping of the still damp towel, he slipped into the clothing and went to ready for breakfast in the bathroom.

**At the Table**

Princess Esther, in a particularly giddy mood, skipped into the white and gold room from the gardens. Her weekend dress was shorter, only below her knees, and allowed for this almost unheard of behavior. To the shock of her maids, the bright red head bounced in with a large bouquet of blue and white roses. The shorter black haired maid whispered to the new red headed one that the princess was never in such a mood.

The new maid was approached by Mary, who glared at Esther in her happiness. Crossing her arms, she asked the girl to introduce herself to the Princess, since she would be working under her palace.

"Princess, this is our new chambermaid Lily. She will be tending to your guest's rooms until their departure."

"Departure?" The princess questioned half mindedly, preparing an ice water vase for the fresh flowers. Turning to glance at the new maid, she gave her a warm smile and nodded. The maid curtsied to her and tucked a wave of crimson behind her ear. "No need to rush them"

Dismissing them politely with her lack of attention, Esther turned back to the roses, plucking a few petals to scatter over the tablecloth. The breakfast china sparkled in brilliant white on the champagne colored cloth, and the roses made it look like a scene from a dream. Esther began to hum in her throat the song from the night before. No one in the palace had ever seen her this way. Not even the day she was crowned. Mary scoffed at her sudden interest in china and flowers, spinning around on her heels in her military uniform and meeting her assistants for paperwork. Esther felt bad that Mary was pushed with all the work this early in the day. She hardly got in a breath in the morning before more documents were shoved under her nose. The princess needed a royal husband to become Queen, at least an influential member of the military.

Esther's ears pricked when she heard coming footsteps.

"Abel?" she said. If she had a tail, it would wag with joy. But the footsteps were much lighter, royal, unlike Abel's heavy kicking. Ion tip toed into the room with grace, in his intricate palace clothes. She felt that all that was missing was a sword from his hips as he strolled, hair combed and shimmering, into the dining hall. She noticed he was hiding something behind his back.

"Ion" the noble boy corrected painfully. He approached the princess, closing almost all space between them and revealed the hand he was holding behind him. In his palm was a large white box. "Open it." He said eagerly. The contents panted rapidly. Almost fearful, Esther lifted the lid. A white rabbit twitched and sniffed at Esther's face.

"Ohhh, It's adorable!" she squealed, lifting the small fury animal out of the box and up to her face. The rabbit kicked and settled into her cradling arms. The small princely man fixed the UV gel on his smooth face, distributing the access. Having to wear this mask of grease to speak to Esther in her light was a task he dreaded. He had _awakened_ so young. He didn't have time to treasure his sun.

"We felt horrible, not having brought you anything after being away so long." He admitted. Late last night, he had been pacing restlessly. He smelled her scent lingering all over the palace. It drove him near madness. In an impulse, he fled using haste and bought the small present from a local pet shop as soon as dawn broke. The petite noble had not slept a blink all night. The boy flashed a toothy grin at her before placing the box on the floor and kicking it to the maids. Esther's eyebrows sunk at this, but because he was being so charming, she forgot about the rude act quickly.

As they chatted over all the time spent away, a sound of clinking boot steps entered the hall. The princess, awaiting him since she first opened her eyes at dawn, smiled so wide her cheeks ached. Petting the rabbit laid across her arm, she fixed her posture. Walking over calmly, the man gave her a very intimate hug. They rocked a bit in pure fluff, then holding her at arm's length Abel greeted her "good morning."

Ion, standing by ignored, ground his teeth and pulled out a chair and sat down in it. The two locked in each other's eyes, hardly noticed him move. Not bothering to act noble anymore, he knotted his hands together and bit down on one of his feminine fingers, his back turned to them. The gel was bitter and dried his mouth. Stealing his thunder, Abel laughed with the girl as he tickled the small jumpy animal. He wanted so badly to plant a kiss on her, but decided this was not the correct place to do that. There would be time later tonight…

Ion's bite doubled in strength and anger as the smell of the supposed priest reached him. He smelled like Esther, yet they had only held each other for a second jut now. His advanced senses lost the smell of her mouth in the toothpaste. If he hadn't Abel would be choking in his grasp.

A small frustrated tear formed in his amber eyes, almost pristine gold. Standing from his chair with a loud rattling of plates and silverware, he rushed away into the garden with his chin held high. The chair fell backwards behind him. The pair stopped laughing and batting eyelashes to follow him with their eyes as he stormed away. Not sure why, Esther thought to call out to him. Looking up to her lover's eyes, she searched him for a clue. Abel, knowing better, separated himself from the princess and frowned.


	8. Chapter 8 Trust

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch.8 Trust  
**

**In Ion's Guest Room**

"Damn priest! How _dare_ he be so intimate with Esther? He flirts as if they have married." Ion slammed open the door with so much force it bounced back from the wall outside, and shut again. The maids outside in the halls trembled at his face, fangs bared.

The young Earl of Memphis paced around the royal suite. His hands burned with the urge to draw blood. The boy's claws buried into his palms, he punched the solid marble fireplace, earning a thin sliver down to the bottom.

"He has no right!" Ion raged, "To take advantage of her this way! She does not know what she needs. She needs me." Ion surrendered to the thought, that all the princess was missing is love. Before, Ion argued that he could provide her with clothes, food and shelter in the high comforts of his own mansion. But now she had all those things, all she was missing was someone to share it with.

"I'm who she needs." He repeated into his palms. '_Men don't cr_y' he tried to stop the building urge to burst into tears. After all this time away hoping to be with her, and being denied. He brought her presents. The Priest only bought her chocolate, free chocolate.

Ion was noble, of pure and influential blood, a favorite of the empress. He had wealth, power, and status. Nightroad did not have any of those things. He had clumsiness and depression. Ion cursed his boyish body, Abel's was tall and toned. The only redeeming quality he had was strength. But Esther did not need a monster, she needed a gentle knight.

Ion knew the true age of Nightroad. Just nearly a millennia old. Not only would he outlive the frail terran princess, he would outlive his children, and their children's children. He was destined to be alone. A weapon and a monster, too immortal for love. Ion could provide her with a long healthy life, he would live for her, and when it came her time to die, he would take his own life for her. The father cannot take his own life. The nanomachines would surely intervene. His only death will come by the hands of Cain, like it had before.

Curling on the long couch, identical to the one in Abel's room, he started to wipe off the UV gel. He did not want his skin ruined by the sticky cream. Esther did not want him anyways, now he was merely in the palace as a third wheel.

A light knock on the door.

Ion, rising from his comfortable mope, opened the door unenthusiastically. He frowned at the new chambermaid, wondering why she was there.

"I heard my lord was weakened during his efforts on his mission. I brought my lord a glass of Water of Life." The little red-head smiled at him.

Her insides were less thrilled by this younger boy. Although he was the true target, she preferred men her own age, not the age she posed to be. Though, this boy excited her still, he was a Methuselah, and most probably a strong lover. Humans were beyond dull, weak.

"I am not thirsty." The boy snapped back with attitude. "Do you have no sense? What makes you believe that after all my toil I would want to stand and receive a training maid?" Ion did not mean it, but he had to snap at someone. In reality, what she did was very thoughtful, a human would not have thought of the Methuselah's needs. He ached to refuse the drink, but he had his own way of mixing it.

"Please take it sir, I would know my lord is well."

"I told you I am not thirsty!" He said more than loudly.

"I'm deeply sorry my lord. But I cannot leave until I see that you are alleviated. Your face is pale."

"My face is always pale terran girl!" he shouted, fanged bared. What was this girl doing? Being so persistent to her master, and the first time they met too. He gave the scariest look he could, helping to relieve his own anger.

The maid shut her eyes at his screams. '_This is my cue_' she thought excitedly. Wrinkling her chin, the girl pretended to hold back tears. She purposefully dropped the silver platter on the marble. Pooling around her ankles, the Methuselah medicine splashed onto the walls and the young noble.

"Oh ho" the girl sobbed, covering her face from the angry vampire. She fell to her knees in front of him, crying and sniffling. The shattered glass digging into her thin calves.

Ion's face twisted in confused guilt. Glancing to the side, he tightened his fists. '_Now look at what she caused.' _Clenching his teeth he looked down at her crying. He did nothing to make her react this way. She was a nuisance.

"Here." He said boldly, offering the girl his hand.

The shaking maid looked up hurt, her hands breaking away from her suddenly breathtaking face. '_Was she always this way_?' Ion asked himself, shocked. She parted her lips and stopped her forced tears. She had to stop the smile that twitched on the edge of her lip.

"Thank you my lord." She said, 80% breath. Placing her thin hand into his, she pulled herself weakly to her feet. The shape shifter found it difficult to control the glass shards she purposefully pinched between her skin. Wincing at the sight, she hissed, "It hurts."

Ion squinted his eyes. Smelling deeper, he picked up on the undertones of her scent. Eyes widening with the realization, he bent to brush the glass from the shins of the girl he now knew was Methuselah.

"What are you doing working here?" He questioned her icily. A vampire in the palace was not what Mary wanted, he knew she had lied to them.

"I'm a temporary chambermaid for my lords Nightroad and Fortuna.

"You are not terran, and they are not aware." He hissed, pulling the girl into his room. He was not going to let her out into the palace that Esther slept in.

"They do not have to know! My race is hated everywhere in the terran world. I do not wish to harm, I only need employment." The girl acted, still hurt and sniffling.

"You do not fool me." Ion sneered, bending to look her in the eyes. She had the same hair as Esther, but eyes that killed the innocence of her face. Ion was a strong believer that a person's eyes reflected their souls. He didn't like her eyes.

"I do not try to fool you. I'm honest. It is so hard to find employment where I can be happy.

"A Methuselah does not need this terran land, why do you wear UV gel for a home for a race you're hated by?"

"I love this world." She argued. Brushing the glass off of her skin, she healed almost instantly, most of the work was being done by her, not the glass. Taking a daring move, she sat on the guest's couch.

Ion gave her a mixed look. He was not sure how she was able to dupe the guards and Mary. Then again, maybe Mary knew she was a Methuselah. He was puzzled by her, she seemed to grow more beautiful every minute. Was it a trick of his eyes in the daylight?

"I do not want to upset anyone, you must know that to give me away is to put me on the streets." She begged, wrapping Ion with her deep emerald eyes. She plumped her lips with more blood, striving to look as attractive as the age limit would let her. She did not want to look older than him.

"I do not know what to do with you, but I am keeping a close watch on you." He warned her.

"Thank you sir!" her eyes glowed, standing up. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around the blonde boy's head.

"I cannot thank you enough for your kindness. As a maid, I am allowed to work and sleep loyally under the same roof. I do not have enough money for a home of my own." She began to cry again.

The thoughts of Esther and Abel faded to his immediate trouble. The girl that latched onto him was not only illegally in the palace of an Albion princess, but she was homeless, and would be fired quickly on their departure. He felt pity for the less fortunate girl. If only Esther was in her position. He quickly saw the cruelty behind his thoughts and chased them away, praying that having thought them would not make them true. Esther could not be punished for not loving him. If she loved Abel, it was because he possessed something he didn't.

"Please, you must trust me." She whispered into his ear desperately.

"I cannot trust so easily. But I will not cause you any grief. However, If you harm any soul in this palace, you are my personal enemy." He said.

"I wish no harm to anyone!" she lied like she was being spared to do, "I will serve my kind lord peacefully, I wish no harm to anyone."

He thought over the girl's intentions. What could the girl be plotting, willing to work for the terrans in such a position as servant. He admired her bravery though, to defy the palace security.

A warm feeling reached him when he remembered how they had gotten into this conversation in the first place. She had heard about his travel, and brought him a drink. Going as far as to not leave until he felt better. That was something very warm indeed. He had not been cared for since he left his grandmother in the empire. Abel certainly didn't have time to think about anyone else than himself and his brother, and so Ion went for long periods without ears to talk to, or anyone to alleviate him. This girl was refreshing, although suspicious.

Ion wrapped his arms around the girl that held onto him. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt. Being a gentleman, he pulled the girl away gently to remove her tears with his handkerchief. He did not wish to upset her because she was of course, a lady, and a particularly delicate and beautiful one at that. But he did wish to be left alone.

Sensing the boy's discomfort, the girl bowed deeply to reveal her cleavage, still much to close to him for a maid and lord, and thanked him with a bright smile.

"Thank you!" she said cheerfully, skipping out of his way and closing the door behind her. Ion watched her little body bounce out of the door. The girl was the smallest of his problems, but he still kept an eye open for her. He could hear her scrape the mess up outside, to the shouts of the older servants. Most of the palace was either at breakfast, or working, so Ion decided to sleep until night. Shimmying out of his regal clothes, stained with spots of red Water of Life, he slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower. The UV Gel bothered him extremely. He would not sleep with it still on his skin. At night, he would find out truly what was happening between Abel and Esther.


	9. Chapter 9 Said the Spider to the Fly

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch. 9 Said the Spider to the Fly**

In the palace gardens, Esther led Abel hand in hand to her haven of roses. The gardens were in the center of the grounds, surrounded completely by the palace, with only one exit to the main entrance. A space free from the hectic lifestyle of the single princess was rare. He saw her excitement to pull him away from the eyes on the grounds.

"This is where I come to be alone." She said hurriedly.

Upon stepping into the structure of white wood lattice and stone, he was speechless. Every inch of the walls of the enormous bird-cage like framework was crowded with blue and white roses. The lavender at the bottom swayed at the man's knees, creating such a gentle color contrast and aroma that it was easy to see why Esther loved this place. It was practically cut off from the palace, with only views of roses with little filtering sunlight, and the garden's fountain. The water could be heard from the small haven. He closed his eyes and took a deep soul-cleansing breath.

"Isn't it wonderful?" the princess said, glitter in her voice. The spot was so dear to her. This was where she grew her blue Abel roses. She had the roses bred together to produce the perfect ice blue of her absent love's eyes. Each flower was her image of him. These were the products of his five years away.

"You said you bred these?" he said in awe, reaching out to prop one up from the lattice with his long fingers. The dew on them from the morning was beginning to evaporate, but the shade kept them moist. He marveled at its perfect resemblance to his own eyes.

"It took me the larger part of these five years, Abel." She said with a tinge of sadness. She had been so lonesome; she did not notice the time spent tending to the roses. It was a sanctuary for her feelings towards him.

'_All for me'_ Abel thought silently. '_I didn't know she needed me this much. If I did I would have run to her as soon as I could. Now I've left a scar in her heart. I hope she can find it to forgive me.'_

Esther watched with tender eyes as Abel plucked a single petal and pressed it to his thin lips. To her surprise, he pushed the thin sheet of blue into his mouth and nibbled at the veins. The flower wilted over his fingers. He was sucking the life from the petal.

"A-Abel?" she questioned nervously.

The man did not reply, but kept draining it until it was limp and pale white. Pulling it out of his mouth, the princess could catch the blue of the rose on his lips. He looked pleased, but somehow also melancholy.

"I always enjoyed the taste of bitter roses." Abel spun the lifeless petal in his fingers. He watched it twirl thoughtfully. The man turned when he heard the rustle of another rose as a petal was plucked from it.

Staring at the icy veins of the petal, Esther tested its flavor on her tongue. Nibbling cautiously, she mimicked Abel's actions.

The rose did not change color for her, but the blue stayed on her lips as well. The taste was bitter as Abel described, and resinous. It was not sweet like the insides of the red flowers she grew by the fountain.

Abel watched her lovingly as she made faces at the taste. Smiling, he closed all space between them and held her waist from behind.

"It's an acquired taste." He said playfully into her ear.

Pulling out the petal in the same way he had, Esther squinted but saw that the color of the petal was still ice blue. She felt her mouth tighten at its bitterness.

Craning around her neck, the much taller Crusnik nipped the petal out of her hand and repeated the draining. The color sucked slowly into his lips again.

"How do you do that?" the puzzled girl asked him, arching an eyebrow at the pale petal.

Abel's icy blue eyes narrowed, and he laid his head on her thin shoulder. Taking in a deep breath of lavender and rose, he began in a haunted voice.

"I am a monster, created solely to consume life." His breath smelled of roses, but his words fell like bricks on her ears. She remembered the night she first saw his inner monster, who he refused to be. The blood he drank from any living part of him. Abel would deny his craving until death, but he needed blood.

"This rose is a lot like living mammals." He reached out and took another petal. " You and I. It has blood, which contains sugar. I consume this blood, the same way it consumes water." He drained it in his blue lips. "I do not need it, it's more of a luxury."

"Abel…" Esther whispered under her breath. She looked at the dead petals. Now they resembled corpses, and every living rose prey. It changed the order of things. If Abel could consume the life from even the smallest living thing, what would happen to them? The air in the sanctuary somehow felt heavier.

"I would never do anything to harm you…" Abel said, sensing her worry. He tightened her hold on her and rested his chin on her head. "Your life and blood is precious to me. As is every life belonging to humans and Methuselah alike. I must protect them all." The maid that resembled Lilith flashed into his head. He was so rude to her. Maybe this was Lilith watching over him.

The wind picked up, the warmth of his skin comforting. Esther wriggled loose and turned around to press her face against his chest. She could taste the chocolate he had brought her the night before, roses mixed into the sweet. Now she understood the odd choice in flavor.

Abel, relishing in the warmth the princess' heart lent him, started to sway to imaginary music. Looking up at him, Esther followed his arms as one wrapped around her waist and the other lifted her hand in his. Swaying with him, she blushed as the man she loved did something she had never seen before.

Abel swayed to a slow rhythm, twirling Esther and pressing her to him, leading her into dips and spins. The girl smiled at this odd behavior. It was nothing like the father at all. She could hear him faintly humming something like '_Broken Wings' _under his breath. Stepping lightly, he led her in a slowdance.

She locked eyes with him, enjoying the sudden lightheartedness. It lifted all her worries about blood and her own future.

A wave of courage overcame her. Esther slipped one hand off of his broad shoulders and cupped his cheek. In response, he dipped her down and laid her back on his knee, pulling his face closer to hers. They each held each other's eyes, melting into a haze of blue. The wind picked up again, blowing the man's silver hair from his face. The young princess slid her hand from his face into his hair and pulled him into a sweet kiss.

Abel felt her hand smooth against his neck. Her fingers laced around his long hair. He brushed her bangs away.

Dressed in full black, his body curved against Esther's white dress. Sitting up on his knee, she broke the kiss.

Abel inhaled her quick breaths, warming his face. Brushing his lips against hers, he pulled her into a longer, deeper kiss. The girl tugged on the black ribbon that held his long hair. Gently, he removed her devious hand and sat her on his knee.

Esther smiled to herself at the sight of his gentlemanly pose. He looked like a…a prince almost…

"We can't do this here." He said concerned. Esther could tell he was scolding himself as well as her.

"Right." She regained her composure, smoothing out her ruffled dress. "Later."

Holding his face, she placed one stray kiss on his cheek and smiled.

The two stepped back a little from each other and started walking through the garden again, giggling and playing around the array of flowers and trees. Mary watched as if Esther was being torn in half. If she lost the princess to a priest, there would be a scandal. And most importantly, they could not marry, which was her main concern.

**Sundown in Ion's bedroom.**

* * *

The young blond awoke to a light tickle on his face. The feeling made him groan unpleasantly. He was still so tired. Almost certain it wasn't night yet, he opened his eyes a sliver to see a curtain of crimson on either side of his head. Rested on the pillow he reached his hands out to the face at the center.

'_Esther?_' his mind raced. Blinking several times to clear his eyes of sleep, he could just make out the exotic tones of the new chambermaid, the Methuselah Lily.

Startled, he sat up suddenly, earning himself a dizzy headache. The pillow he was resting on was thrown to the floor in his jump. The girl, alarmed, fell back onto her shins. Was her dress shorter? He panted from the awakening.

She had been crawling over him, watching him in sleep. She filled her lips with blood and gave out a light yelp.

"Wh-What are you doing in my room?" the boy's voice cracked with surprise. The look on the shape shifter's face was childish, but somehow hinted of evil.

Raising a hand to her flushed cheeks the girl looked up and down the room nervously. Trying to avoid his eyes, she could barely hold in her laughter, this boy was too easy. A man would have either taken her, or dug their claws into her throat. Here he was panting like a child.

"Answer me!" he yelled. His fangs were beginning to grow. He couldn't tell if this was malicious or…other.

"I'm deeply sorry my lord. I did not mean to wake you…ohhh, how am I going to explain this." She whined, biting a finger between her perfect marble teeth. She looked genuinely caught.

Blinking rapidly, Ion's teeth retracted, his hair settling. He was absolutely clueless, and still not sure if he was dreaming. He checked the clock on the wall, sundown. He did didn't dare get up.

The girl waited in silence for him to ask again, and when he didn't she wiggled her lip. His face was pale and shocked. He watched as he made the girl cry once again, and this time, he had little do with it.

"Wh-wh-wh?" Ion stuttered.

The red headed maid puffed out her chest and sighed. Regaining her stubborn face, she bowed, still on the bed, and apologized loudly.

"Forgive me sir!"

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, still not sure what was happening.

"I could not help myself sir! My lord's face in sleep is ten times more handsome." She blushed, hiding her face in her hands. "I think I have grown fond of my lord." Such a cheesy line, if she was caught with this shrimp in the empire her reputation would be smashed.

Tilting his head to the side, the boyish noble reddened. Had she just confessed to him?

"Handsome?" he repeated.

"Please forgive me, I did not mean to wake you." She inched closer to him, looking him straight in the eyes.

Her green eyes begged him, perfect and almost emerald in shine. His own felt dull in comparison. He scanned her entire face, perfect lips parted to show the pinkest tongue he'd ever seen. This Methuselah was a beauty, how was she not in the empire.

Lily willed her hair to curl around his knees, the long flowing locks tickled his skin, sending a chill up his spine.

The maid whimpered at his lost face. Inside she was flattered, this boy had influence and money, if they had met at another time and place, he would be a magnificent client. He would be a handsome adult.

"Do I have something on my face?" she said in her airy voice, patting her perfect cheeks for the spot she knew was not there.

"No…" Ion's voice trailed off. His golden eyes were snagged on her perfect mouth. Subconsciously, he compared hers to Esther's. Lily's won this time. In a sort of trance, he did not feel as the Methuselah girl scooted further up his lap to rest just above his knees. He felt lightheaded, all proper thoughts of escape and resistance were slow on getting to him. His face softened when her intoxicating scent him. It was indescribably attractive.

"Sir, do you find me to be a nuisance?" she asked innocently, looking down as if shamed. She slowly morphed her legs to be longer, fuller.

He gulped and replied in a weak mumble, "No."

"Then what does my lord think of me?" she inched even closer, putting every ounce of seduction into her eyes. She could smell his adrenaline. Where her hands rested on his thighs, she felt his heart beat wildly with every slide towards him. "Does he find me useful?"

He could not deny it any longer that he thought she was beautiful. In the low light, with her warm body on his lap, she seemed noble, pure, a wonderful girl. Drugged by his heart, he saw her as a brave, honest girl, working away from home because she loved the human world. Lightheaded, he wondered why he had not seen this in her before.

"I-" Ion began, mouth watering in a way it never had with Esther. Letting his guard down, he let himself be lured in. Her breath laced with poison.

"I am attracted to you, helplessly. Forgive me, if you do not wish to have me." She breathed into his ear. Now completely on his lap, she straddled him. There was no way he could resist, she had him trapped. Lured with empty words. The spider enveloped the fly in poison, and stole him.


	10. Chapter 10 Close Your eyes

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch.10 Close Your Eyes part 1&2**

**Note: I have been writing this story as often as possible but sometimes it's hard to keep up with my busy schedule. Part two begins after part one of this chapter, I simply added it to the end to have an accurate number of chapters shown on the summary, and maybe cuz I'm a little OCD. I did make changes to the original part one, so if you want, it would be better to read it over.**

**Thank you all for reading I get so ecstatic when I see I've been added or my views go up, you're all great! I also take fan service, so don't be afraid to ask, it's always fun to break away from the anime's dark clothes. There is nothing I can't wedge in somehow.**

Ion turned his head on the pillow. It took all his ill power to force his body to roll over. The pain in his back still throbbed. The sun completely absent from the clouds. Closing his eyes, he attempted to lift his head. He was so beat he could not reach for his capsule canister. If he did not drink soon he would only fall into thirst. The girl had drained him of all energy. The most remote thought in his mind was Esther, and even farther behind, Abel.

Lulling over the sound of the maid's screams, he wasn't sure what his own name was. The last hours had been a blur. His cheeks bled with scratches. His chest was a maze of red and pink nail marks. The flesh burned and stung with every beat of his exhausted heart.

The limber body behind him draped a very pale leg over his waist. The blond boy, opening his eyes drunkly, did not respond to her touch. If he would have turned to her, he would have lost his breath. Her face had relaxed into its mock demon expression. The girl fought with her body, hair turning from black to red, the waves sliding down in ripples of color. In the small noble's fourth lumbar vertebrae, there bled black lacquer.

Miss Delphine trembled with the lust to finish him. She buried another poison purple nail into his back. The bones clocked and ground in their disks. The sick wetness of his soft tissue melting made her want to keep slicing him. The boy did not feel the puncture, but felt the effects of the poison. He was utterly intoxicated. Arching back weakly, he let out a tortured and distant moan of pain.

The tips of her nails sizzled on his flesh.

His eyes tunneled, all blurring into a blue swirl. Completely drugged, his mouth opened and his jaw popped in and out with strain.

Her breathing was wild, hissing through her teeth. In her erratic thirst her saintly camouflage fell, giving her away as the murderess she was born as. The sultry woman convulsed in a disturbing way. Her body had been tensing and straining to maintain her form, and was starving. If she killed him, she would gain no food. All though she enjoyed his slow poisoning, she was growing too thirsty to bask in it. It was time for her to feed.

Standing to her unstable knees, the tall body of the shape-shifter tore away from the sheets and not bothering to change form, opened the door and leapt out.

Ion's eyes were hazed, one closed and refusing to open. The boy felt his heart slow. The terrible thudding fluttered quickly and then stopped. Still awake but slowly losing himself, the loud thunder of his restarting heart gave his body a jolt for air. Paralyzed, he released all the air in his lungs in an attempt to scream. No sound escaped, only the mute cloud of heavy breath.

His eyes both opened now, spinning madly in their sockets. His legs kicked on their own, arms so tense he felt the muscles threaten to tear. The pain came all at once, toxins clawing at his innards. Then came a piercing headache. The grimace fell, his eyes motionless, all motion in his body ceasing like a falling bag of rocks. His chest being pressed down on by an invisible but definite death. Thirst could not save him now, life slowly escaping him.

A terrible death gargle ripped from his throat, one last breath before his body lost to the poison, and the small pale Ion lay bloodless and cold. His breath only came in once every minute, his heart frozen in ice, beating weakly every 30 seconds or so. In deep hibernation, he ran to escape his nightmares.

* * *

**In Esther's room**

Esther walked out of the steamy bathroom humming. Drying her fiery hair, she smiled at the thought of her and Abel's forbidden date.

The incense she burned was annoyingly strong now, so she licked her fingers and pinched it out. The tip of ash went out with a hiss and Esther, grimacing at the wet ashes under her finger nails, scurried back to the sink. Locking eyes with her self in the mirror, she judged whether she should stay and try to tame her wild hair, or simply walk out as is. Abel never mentioned anything about her hair being unruly, and he twirled it occasionally between his thin fingers. That was a good sign.

Still, she smoothed it with water over and over until the long wisps that strayed from her head were flattened and glossy.

They would rendezvous at the fountain in the gardens when the guards had moved to the other side of the grounds. There, she had her favorite and most trusted personal servant prepare a table near their sanctuary of roses. She imagined the weak candlelight now, bouncing off his silver pony tail. She wondered if he would do anything unusual with it, but then again, it was to long to work with in a manly way. The most he could do was let it down, or smooth it back. She giggled at the mental image of Abel's forehead. And those goofy glasses.

She couldn't stand the wait, she wondered what Abel was up to in his room. Thinking back to seeing him in a towel, her face blushed pink.

'_should I take him into my room tonight?' _she thought shyly. '_no, that's not ladylike._

'_if he invites me in, I won't refuse, but I won't be the one to invite him._'

She schememed about her plans for the newly X-preist, a devilish grin on her face the entire time.

She tip toed to her closet and sat at the long bench facing the two parallel walls of clothes and shoes. Folding her arms, she scanned through her selection of simple dresses, but then again it was evening, so should she go all out? One dress caught the corner of her eye as she was looking for another. It almost called out her name. The dress was a cream white color, but not too white, more of a delicate whipped vanilla. Standing up, she pulled the dress against her body. The sides had long strings of fragmented mother of pearl and thin bows of matching blue and purple lace. The top had a slight dip, showing a healthy amount of her chest. Although she was not proud enough to display it in public, with Abel it would be fine. The bottom was just knee length, with a tail of ruffles that hung down almost to the floor. It was the perfect balance between flirty but elegant.

No doubt in her mind, this was definitely the dress!

* * *

**Outside in the Palace Gardens**

The sleek body of Miss Delphine slid around corners and hedges, making her way to the window she leapt out of. Her nightgown had been replaced with the much more form-fitting clothes of her victim. The black sequins sparkled in the moonlight. Humming 'Coma White' under her breath, she swung her hips as she walked.

In the distance she could see a red head bobbing in and out of the trees. The princess was out of bed? She stopped dead on the spot and a flash of opportunity glinted in her eyes.

'_Is this my chance?_' she thought. Pressing a long poison finger to her temple she pressed the transmitter under her skin. It clicked and static rung in her head. With a snap, the sound of her employer's voice greeted her clear as a bell.

"My my, this had better be important." He said eagerly.

"Sir, I seek clearance to activate the final part of my plan." She said in a hushed tone. She could not let her get away if she wasn't able to finish the human priest.

"I leave this all to your discretion. If you fail, you know who I will drink. Have a pleasant night Miss Lalaurie." The receiver clicked and the static came back on. She pressed the tiny transmitter twice and it beeped, turning off. This was finally it. If she could capture the princess for a second, she would have the perfect opportunity. But if she failed, her family would be murdered. It was impossible to imagine such a short conversation could ultimately leave her injured and alone. Her daughter was soy young...

Following close behind the princess, she waited until she was hidden behind another row of hedges. Crouching low to the ground ready to pounce like a lioness, she snarled.

"Oh!" she heard Esther say in surprise when her foot twisted out of her too-high princess bent down to fix them when the shape shifter seized her chance, leaping onto Esther's slim body and rolling under the hedge.

The girl kicked and scratched at her unknown attacker. The murderess clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. She felt the girl suck in the skin of her hand, unable to breathe. When she felt her kicking stop, she let go.

Esther gasped, before she could scream, her assaulter had her in the same choke again.

"I will stop once you do." She hissed. The thrashing princess immediately froze on her voice. A female with this much strength. '_Vampire!'_

She stopped kicking, panting through her nose. Adrenaline icing over her face in cold sweat. Where were the guards when they were actually needed?

Tearing off scarps of her dress, Delphine slid it around her neck and stuffed it into her mouth. Tying her hands and feet, she picked up the pale, frightened girl and carried her roughly in through the gardens. The princess cried in pain when the strong Vampire threw her over her shoulder, landing hard on her stomach on her shoulders. She was as hard as if she had been welded from steel.

Delphine ducked under the garden hedges and jumped over benches. Once she saw the open window to Ion's guest room, she leapt in and closed it behind her, drawing the heavy curtain. Everything was as she had left it. At seeing the boy's torn body, Esther cried into the black fabric that scratched at her gums. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. All she could think was '_where's Abel?' _she feared that the woman had him tied someplace too.

The black haired vampire set the girl down on the armchair and pulled a syringe out of her maid's uniform that was thrown on the floor. Laughing, she slipped off the protective case and shot a stream in the air. The girl's eyes bulged at the thin metal needle. Horror in her eyes she panted and screamed. The muffled sounds were not loud enough to be heard by anyone, and the vampire approached her slowly. Bending down, she licked her lips in Esther's face. The eyes of the vampire were so terrifying, that the princess fell limp, feeling she would faint.

Positioning the needle above the crook of her arm, the vampire inserted the tip slowly. Esther's eyes swam and hid in the back of her head. Without having to inject the thick purple fluid inside, the princess was already out cold.

Pulling the needle out of her skin, she let the tiny puncture bleed. What a disappointment, '_this was a new batch too'_. She was curious to see how humans reacted to the potent poison. At least she wouldn't be up to make any noise.

Stepping over to the bed, she searched around in her bag for a canister connected to thin rubber tubing. At the end, a much thicker needle gleamed in the lamp light. Inside swished the concentrated blood of about 20 humans. The dosage was sufficient to bring the noble Ion back from his sleep.

As she inserted the needle into his arm, she thought about the effects of her amnesia poison. She had especially mixed it for Ion. She wondered how real the images that he was living felt. Minutes could be days in his dreams. Dreams where he would run from his death and Lily would save him. Dreams where they would have dinner together and laugh and dance. Stupid human comforts she knew the weak boy would believe. When he woke, he would love her with all his heart. With all the fabricated memories of them. Hiding the sleeping girl in the bathroom, she cleaned the rapidly healing body of the boy. His heart thumped violently, closing all slashes and sweating all poison.

Cleverly, she dressed him in the same clothes from that day. He hoped he would not question the red stains from earlier that afternoon. Walking outside in her maid dress, she sat the boy on a chair in the dark hall and tidied his hair. When he woke, which would be in a just a few minutes, she would make sure she knew where she was.

* * *

**In Abel's room**

Buttoning the dress shirt the butler had run out earlier to buy him, Abel prepared for his date with Esther. The tall man had prepared a much deeper confession for her than last night's. His glasses sat abandoned on the night stand and his hair was tied neatly back in a black ribbon. Tonight he would be a true gentleman and show her how much he cared about her, how much she meant to him.

Just a few short days ago, he could not bear return to her after leaving so suddenly. Afraid of being rejected he avoided the visit to Albion. Now though, he stood in front of the mirror fixing his hair for her. And she was probably doing the same for him.

It was only very rarely that the X-priest wore white, and he looked like a fading ghost. His silver hair shined in a halo around his ice blue eyes. His pale skin blending into the cream colored clothes.

He stood in front of the full length mirror, straightening his collar and pants. He had spent the longest he ever had showering and pampering in the manliest way possible. He smelled like cologne and soap. All was set for their midnight dinner. Tucking a blue rose he had picked from the garden into his chest pocket, he smiled.

'_I wonder what she'll be wearing' _he thought pleasantly.

Then, he decided not to wear the black ribbon tonight. The thin fabric was old and worn from the floors of caves and forests where he slept at times. With a smooth and ungloved hand, he picked out the tiny aggressor from his hair, letting it fall over his back. He looked down at it in though. Not only was he insecure about having his hair down this way, but he was also caught by his lack of body hair. Leon's hands were nothing like his. His seemed feminine, almost bald and skin scar-less and neat. The other father's hands were chaliced and had long black hairs on them.

Beating the thought out of his head he tried not to think about whether he was masculine enough or not. He was as slender as a pole since he could remember, not many chiseled features or a strong jaw. He was always the clumsy pushover. But Esther didn't seem to mind. Well, she had never brought anything up anyway. That gave him a sort of weak confidence.

Testing his breath on his hand, he was ready to leave for their date.

Stopping him was a slight knock at the door.

Blinking rapidly, he walked to open it with a puzzled look on his face.

"Ara?" he angled his head.

The small body of the red headed chambermaid greeted him with an innocent smile.

"Evening Master Abel."

* * *

**Part II**

"Lily?" his voice broke on the name. '_What is the chambermaid doing here at this hour?'_

"I'm so flattered you remember my name! I regret being so rude to you earlier." The imposture of a maid bowed deeply and stepped forward, as if to make it clear she wanted the door opened further. Her eyes opened from her kitten smile to meet his with an intensity one does not find in the eyes of a maid who was simply apologizing. The deep emerald color took his breath away momentarily, before he remembered what he had to do as quickly as possible before their small window of time was eliminated.

Abel scratched a spot on his head and frowned. If the maid decided to go telling anyone he was dressed this way, Mary would surely suspect something. Pretending to be in his night shirt, he hid his tall body behind the door. Tipping over on one leg, he smiled shyly at her.

"Excuse me if I'm being rude Miss, but...what exactly are you here for?" he asked her diztyly.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry for interupting my master in his chamber at this hour but I must speak to him about something."

Abel couldn't believe this was happening now. What could she possibly solve by talking to him, a total stranger? Outside in the hall, footsteps echoed closer. With a quick urgent and pleading look, the small maid clasped her hands and begged with her eyes. The man dropped his shoulders and bit his lip. If she was caught here at this hour it would be harmless, but if they peeked in they would surely see his outfit and ask questions. Abel guessed she could already smell his cologne, not exactly a quiet smell.

"Tsk" he looked at her painfully. Opening the door, he allowled the bouncing red head to enter his room. She clapped in success.

Not only was the the spitting image of Lilith, but she acted like his younger sister Seth. The sight of her bouncing took him way back to when they were on Mars. Shutting his eyes, he breathed in an offending smell. Coughing in his throat, he closed the door and turned to her. Shuffling his feet, he wanted but could not bring himself to ask her what it was he could help her with. He kicked himself for falling for her innocent trick. _Now_ if they were caught, it would be ten times worse.

Catching his uneasiness, the girl tucked her long hair behind a thin ear and beamed at him. She had no shame in admitting, she couldn't wait to kill this man. Unfortunately for her, the plan was to make someone else do it, someone much closer. Though she was slightly aroused by the much handsomer specimen she was assigned to. The young boy had been a careless partner, selfish, a breakable toy. This one was not her taste, but radiated an energy she could pick up on. Although he was human, she sensed an incredible power. What a shame she could not break him as well. She waited for the moment to call her toy to her.

"Um, yes?" The awkward man finally blurted out. She had been staring at him with narrowed eyes for almost a full minute, and he was itching under her gaze.

Smiling, she took a slow, deliberate step towards him. Standing much too close, she parted her lips and whispered something he could just barely catch. Just as she expected, he leaned in to hear her. Catching his head in her hands she pushed him closer. Being the gentle giant he is, he let her hold his head to her mouth as she whispered something he recognized finally to be in a different language.

As planned the priest held his ear closer, trying to make out the words she was saying. The girl took her long and now pulsing purple nail and held it at his neck. Switching to English, she called a name he did not want to hear from this particular girl.

"Lilith..." she whispered, tempting him to break. His eyes went wide with shock.

The man tried to jump away from her face, but she had it locked in her grasp. The purple nail sinking into his skin, she felt him tense and gasp at the painfull burning.

Crying out, Abel gripped her thin hands tight enough to break any human bone. To his horror, they held his grip, pushing the poison fingers into his neck. He heard the girl snicker and scoff.

"You are weak, human." she said in a voice unfamiliar. He commanded his body to yell, but his voice was bending held by the monster at his neck. '_A Vampire who knows Lilith...who looks like Lilith...why would she attack me?'_

Now he would surely try and attack her, then she would pretend to be injured and call Ion. It seemed like the perfect plan, if it weren't for the smell his blood gave off. She was still thirsty from the woman she attacked in town earlier. She couldn't help it. Her eyes flecked with red.

As the girl grew increasingly excited she abandoned the thought that loomed over her. All threats that her master made were temporarily forgotten. She was hopelessly thirsty, and now, she was burning to kill this man. She did not understand the plot of her orders. Why risk someone else killing them when she could end it here quicker?

She felt the scraping of her hard nail against his skull, now completely buried under his skin. The paralyzed man would die soon, now that he was poisoned this deeply. She flicked the flesh that surrounded his skull, bathing in the stream of blood that ran down his pure white suit and onto her face. It was arousing, she cackled madly. Her focus fading, streaks of black appeared in her hair.

Suddenly, a low snarl escaped the man who would be normally suffocating.

With a monstrous roar, the supposed human launched the Vampire across the room, slamming her into the wall. Two feet more and she would have been thrown out of the window.

Her head snapped back at him, now mumbling something under his breath. She watched with confused horror as the man's hair floated weightlessly in a halo of static. Her eyes threatened to pop out of her skull. Only a few feet away from th same terrifying beast that was her master, Cain. She slid to the ground weakly on her knees. This was not in her plans. Cain did not tell her anything about his powers, in fact he had _lied_. Saying he was human and easily conquered. Of course it would have been different if she knew what a monster he was, she would ever have accepted the job. She clutched her chest fearfully, thirst dissipating.

"Y-You!" she cried.

The man licked his purple lips. His hunger had been surfacing lately, and he enjoyed the sensation of his skin patching up where it had been so roughly torn by the young maid that cowered before him, frozen in fear.

"I?" taunted Abel. Testing a step, he saw the reaction it pulled from her. The girl slid back up the wall as if she was being rocketed from below. Her body slowly morphed back into it's birth shape. Not an innocent maid, but an image that angered him immensely. He looked down at her full hips and chest, pitch hair and eyes that had no end.

This vile woman posed as Lilith insulted him. He roared at her disrespect for the dead. Someone so unclean, posing as his sacred saint...it was sickening. He only knew one person who would do this, and he was determined to squeeze it out of her. He already felt cold at even thinking his name. If she said it, that would be final, he would end her life there, like cutting off a poison vine from the malignant creature his twin brother was.

Flashing in haste, he was at the woman's neck in the blink of an eye. Horrified, she kicked feebly like the Princess had, feeling trapped like a mouse in the paws of a massive and fierce cat. His movement was to fast for even her eyes. She attempted to morph out of his grip but failed, earning herself a gash on her stomach.

The Crusnik buried his nails into her stomach and up into her ribs, painfully grazing the bone with his advancing claws.

"Feel familiar?" he growled into her ear, waiting with an open jaw to bite into her. Just as she felt his cold fangs touch her neck she gathered all the air she could manage to carry and screamed at a bloodcurdling pitch. Breathless she tried to gasp in vain, air could not fit inside her along with his arm. She strained through her tears to see his face as it only crept closer. Pleading to a god she didn't believe in, she dug into her own palms that he would find her. This was not part of the plan, it was not worth the pain. She hoped doubtfully that Ion could be enough to save her.

Suddenly the door to the room burst open, flying off it's hinges and smashing into splinters. One of the wooden shards stabbed into Abel's right wing. Screams of the maids in the hall echoed through the marble. The gaurds could be heard stomping in from the gardens.

"ABEL!" Ion pounced on the tall Crusnik. Piercing his shoulder with his fingers, he yanked the arm holding onto 'Lily's' neck out of it's socket with a loud pop and tear. Abel turned calmly to meet his eyes. They were red and vicious, yet faintly drugged. Growling under his breath, he pushed the small noble off of him and using the blood flowing from the shape shifter, recovered his arm from the floor.

He didn't know what had goten into the boy, but now was not the time to ask any questions. Turning back to his victim he stared her down. "Who are you working for?" he gripped at something firm and slippery in her body. The woman choked and gasped but did not answer. She could hardly think anyway, she barely even heard him.

"Answer me!" he spat in her face. The girl groaned and convulsed. Grinding his teeth, Abel burst whatever he held in his hand and reached for the next closest organ.

* * *

The scream that escaped her was so vile and booming that Mary heard it from inside her office across the grounds.

"Did you hear that?" her assistant jumped out of her chair. The usually calm and collected woman stood up from her seat, knocking the chair back.

"Let's go!" she ordered. The gaurd sitting in the office with them gathered his weapons and jogged out behind them. The group hurrie thoguh the maze of doors and long halls, cursing the architect of the dsamned building. Mary stopped and looked around. She had lost the source of the noise.

"Do you think it was her majesty?" The assistant asked, hair a mess, coming loose from the run.

"No, well...I don't know. Does anyone hear it?" She told them to quiet down with her hands.

The gaurd and assistant shook their heads, trying to find it.

The scream tore through the palace again, this time softer, cut off suddenly, followed by the loudest silence the three had ever heard. A maid ran out of one of the near by doors covered in blood. She seemed in one peice, and so Mary let the breth she was holding go and caught her as she ran into her arms.

"Monster!" she said franticcally.

"Bennet!" she commanded and the guard saluted and ran in the direction the maid had come from.

Mary pulled the shaken woman off of her body and handed her to her assistant.

"This is too much for you. Stay here and remain alert. Don't let anyone in, or out." With that she did not even wait for a response and darted into the door after the guard.

* * *

Abel dropped the body of the shapeshifter on the ground. The woman landed with a wet thump, her organs splashing out in front of her. She curled into herself, breathless.

Abel debated wheter to kill her, or let her return to his brother to die at his hands. He chose the latter. His brother would be much crueler than he could ever be to a woman.

Drawing the blood on the floor to him, he drank until the nano-machines decided it was enough for now. Glaring down at the girl laying still, eyes wide but still alive, he gave her a playful kick. She hissed in pain and coughed out a stream of blood.

"Go run and tell your master, that he can send all the useless sacks of blood like you at me as he wants. I'm still hungry." His hair fell down and over his clean shoulders, white cloth stained and torn but skin pure and white.

Ion gasped from where he shivered crumpled on the floor. _'poor kid...'_ Abel thought, _'I wonder what got into him.'_

The window that was closed and locked from the inside slid open neatly. Along with a gust of cold air, black tresses waved in. The body attached to it puffed out a cloud of smoke from his mouth and took his cigarillo in two fingers. Patting the ashes on the end out on the window frame, he calmly stepped down into the room.

Abel forze as he saw the man that killed Noel brush a few strands of black silk from his face.

"Magician" he choked out.

"Evening to you too Abel." he said toxicly.

Abel narrowed his eyes and jumped from the man to the open window to the girl. _'How the hell had he seen her?'_

"Oh dear...this is no good. It seems you've failed Miss Lalaurie." He arched down to pick her up into his arms. "It's a shame your night isnt over yet." he smiled devilishly.

Pinching the cigarillo between his lips again, he gave a two finger salute to the Crusnik that _almost_ defeated him, and jumped out of the window soundlessly.

Abel let him go. Tightening his fists, he cursed them all.

But the magician was right, her night wasn't over yet, and for that he almost thanked the man for taking her away. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Unfortunately, if he was able to retreive her so soon, they meant that they were close. He had done what he tried to avoid most, bringin the wolf to the door of the palace, to the feet of the Princess he wanted to protect more than anything else.

He threw his head back and combed the blood out of his hair.

_'Close your eyes, Abel_' he heard from within a memory, _'Close your eyes.'_


	11. Chapter 11 Something Found

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Ch. 11 Something Found**

**In Seth's decoy bakery**

The short Methuselah empress reached on her tippy toes to place a pan of wrapped sweets up on the shelf. Her hands trembled cutely to tip the pans over the edge of the high board. The store had closed hours ago, but being cursed with sleeplessness for the night, she decided to do something with her hands.

"That's the last of em'." She said brightly, patting her hands on her apron. She took a moment to look around the still shop. The dust floated in and out of the little light being sliced by the blinds. The streetlamps outside lent just enough light to give the room a mellow aura. The flowers in ice water sweat a puddle on the counters, but she was too caught in her thoughts to notice. It started to streak down the glass display case Abel had leaned against like a child only a day ago. Business was little fun without being able to spy on her Nii-san. Her thoughts eventually fell on Esther.

'_Abel…what do you plan to do? You cannot circle around her protectively like a shark forever. What a complicated brother I have._' She closed her eyes and imagined Abel's weak face, the anemic look he always has when thinking about Cain or more recently, Esther. '_I can't'_ always seems to be written on his eyes. The way they just stare out into emptiness and do not speak. She hoped she would not see him again in her shop in that kind of mood. He depressed her that way, like a sad statue, hardly breathing.

If he went to the palace to see her, he can't stay _too_ long. Then it's not such an innocent '_oh I was in the neighborhood'_ situation. It must already be an awkward situation. She is not alone and free, she has a duty to her country. He can't simply stick his foot in and then not know where to go from there.

A small scratch sounded from the door. The windows were lord knows how old, and the brick under it causes it to creak under the spreading cold of night. No matter how warm the air is, night always seems so chill. She started untying her apron and walking over to unlock the door. Heading to the hotel at this hour wasn't her smartest idea, but she knew she wouldn't have to use _that_.

The clock at the entrance read four in the morning. "Oh look at that. Time flies here." The store would be opening in just a few hours, she double thought going out to the hotel just to return hours later. It did seem pointless, and she was hardly tired.

"What an awful thing time is." She sighed. Rolling down her sleeves over her arms again, she decided to take a stroll somewhere. Anywhere better than the shop, which grew quieter and darker with every minute that ticked by. Putting a thin pink finger to her lips, she tried to guess where the sunrise would be the prettiest.

Locking the door behind her, she stepped out onto the three little steps dropping into the street. She could smell rain coming, and somewhere a dog was whining sharply. Pulling her boy's cap over her bangs, she skipped away on her little legs.

She absolutely loved the wet gleam the stones always took when it was humid and chilly. Something about being alone this way was frightening and lonely to the point where it was an enjoyable feeling, simply because it was rare. Insomnia was no stranger to her, but rarely did she visit away from the empire just to stroll the streets of Albion at such an early hour.

She was disappointed to see that it was not cold enough to see her breath, and shoved her thin hands wrist deep into her pockets. The gloom about it gave her an odd peace.

"Now what?" she thought. She still didn't know what to do for the next few hours, it was one of those nights where you're strangely energetic, but she knew it would be over once the sun rose, and she would be killing for sleep. She longed to have the luxuriously-cushioned couched of her palace-sized room to just drape herself over.

"Maybe I _should_ go to sleep." In order to save her some walking, she stood still, in the middle of the empty road, and thought about where to go. Her jade eyes closed for a moment, and her dark lashes dipped over her cheeks.

Just as she was about to take another iffy step, a faint whimper found her from one of the deep alleys. The street lights could not reach the spaced between the old buildings, and so Seth avoided them. All sorts of rats hide there. But she was curious at this little sound. It sounded almost human. She got closer to the edge f the building and peeked her head around. It was just dark enough that she couldn't make out the figure inside. Leaned up against the wall on the other side of the alley, a female throat whimpered again, this time louder and broken by tears. The scratching of glass on the cobblestone street and a squeak. This was definitely a human. Though who it was and what they were doing was still a mystery. Seth bit her lip. Debating whether or not to go and check it out. It could be a victim, or it could be part of a trap. She couldn't even see whether or not there was even anyone hurt.

"Um, is there anyone in there?" she began with a stupid question. She stepped into the silhouette of the streetlamps. She was aware that the person inside now saw her, but didn't care. She didn't step any closer.

The voice inside said panting, "Someone, thank you! Please, please help me. Please." Tears broke into her voice, which sounded very old. Or at least compared to Seth's. Biting her lip even harder, she broke into a run to reach the other end quickly. She watched her back, the end of this alley forked into two other, and so on until the edges of the block.

Reaching the dark figure, she squinted in the dark.

The woman in front of her looked like she wanted to fling herself at her, but was being held back. Eyes adjusting to the dark, Seth now saw what it was that made the scratching noise. The woman was not only chained very tightly to the wall behind her, but was sitting on large shards of glass. Her eyes widened in terror. Being in the alley for hours, the woman could see the sudden glimmer of green, and held back a sob of both relief and pain. What if this human girl was targeted by _him_ as well?

Seth stood there motionless, deciding what to tend to first. She would surely die of loss of blood, or of fatigue, humans were so incredibly fragile. She did not want to witness this woman's death.

She ran her hands through her hair, still half blind, wondering how she had gotten this way, and how she hadn't dies yet. A human could not withstand this; no it was definitely a Methuselah. Her heart ached to see someone who would not be enduring this in the empire in such a sorry state.

"I'll help you, but please, don't force yourself. Do you know how long you've been like this?" she said finally, wanting to reach out and touch her, just to let her know she wanted to help but didn't know how. Would lifting her only cause another pain? Was there any more to this torture?

The injured woman shook her head. Seth could tell she had a very beautiful face, but now it was twisted with pain and blood. Seth concentrated her strength in her hands, tearing the chains away from the wall but not off of her wrists. The woman immediately flung her arms around her neck and held onto her with what little strength she had. The glass under her ground against the stone again and Seth frowned deeply. What would have happened if she had fallen asleep tonight and hadn't walked through here? She hugged the woman back, careful not to hurt her, but with passion.

"Thank you, Thank you so much." She said weakly. The bonds on her ankles were bleeding, she untied those next and helped the woman scoot away from the glass pile. As she helped her to stand on her knees, she saw the long shards buried in her flesh and winced, reflecting her pain.

"I'm so sorry. Please bear with me." She said regrettably. She really did not want to do this to someone already in so much pain. She was disgusted. Not by what she saw so much as who had done this to her, and what she had ever done to deserve it.

Squinting in the light, she carefully pulled the glass out from her skin. She knew glass cuts were jagged and scarred slowly and permanently. But maybe there was hope for a vampire. Though she knew she was not normal, that for some reason she could not rip the chains herself, and that her wounds were not healing. She was vulnerable as any human, only with incredible endurance.

"Please tell me, who _did_ this to you?" Seth asked, unable to hide her disapproval.

The woman's legs began to tremble violently, and she heard her whimper in pain. Her face shut down completely into a blank expression.

"I don't remember." She said weakly, almost fearfully.

'_that doesn't sound right_.' Seth thought to herself, narrowing her eyes, but she decided it was best not to push the woman, and continued to pluck the bloody glass and throw it into the pile. There was too much to ever finish in one night, it seemed like she would have to take her to the hospital for it.

"I'm going to bring you to the hospital alright?" she said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"NO!" she yelled in reply. Seth distanced herself, and the girl looked at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry. But you can't. Please. Just…You can't" her speech was scattered.

Seth sighed, growing more worried and continued to pull glass. "Alright. But I can't do this here. I don't know what's wrong with you. Let me take you to my shop."

The woman looked at her for a long time and finally nodded her head in defeat.

Seth gave her a weak smile and offered to carry her. The woman looked at her skeptically, and weakly climbed into her arms. With a little less than ease, Seth positioned her rigid body on her back and began the sprint back to the shop. The sun threatened to trickled over the horizon, and early morning fog was forming.


	12. Chapter 12 One Thing to Lose

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Ch.12 One Thing to Lose**

**Hotel Monarch in Albion**

The door to the bathroom of a cramped hotel in Albion creaked open, the weak hand pushing it flawlessly pale. The man's hips knocked the door out of his light grip as he stumbled into the dark room. The sky outside grey and lifeless, lent no light to the already less than welcoming décor. Yanking the bath curtains open, tearing a few from the ring of copper railing above, he wheezed in distress. He could feel his heart sinking lower into his chest, a quivering panic attack gathering under his lungs.

Breathing unevenly, Abel cranked the hottest water available and without waiting for it to heat up, half threw himself, half fell into the claw-footed tub against the wall. His eyes wanted so badly to cry, and tipped back and forth between the urge. His throat closed up to where he could hardly breathe from the sobs mounting. But for some cruel reason his body did not let him cry. He had not eaten since the night of the attack, or slept, and hardly thought about anything else. How had he betrayed himself that way, who was he back in that room, that was not Abel, not the one belonging to Esther. _'Esther'_ his tortured breath whispered. Years away had hardened him more than he had imagined. He switched so quickly from gentleman to monster, no restraint, even when Ion attacked him, he did not feel sadness or confusion for his comrade, only self defense, only hatred, only wrath and bloodlust. The red hair of the maid turning to black, a hideously cruel face, how easily he had been tricked. He was so close all this time, with access to the palace, and Esther. Though he knew that Cain was not after her, that she would be a sidetrack, a game easily won. Esther had been targeted, because of him. The blood vessels in his blue eyes bent and pulsed bright red with worry and exhaustion. Words could not describe both the relief and discomfort the icy water brought to him. Cooling his skin and calming him, but also making him shiver. He felt weakened and vulnerable.

He threw his shins over the edge of the bath and sunk below the rising water. The cold pipes were heating up slowly, and as he went up for another breath, he felt the boiling water burn his face. Sinking again, he held his breath an inhuman time. 'Chased from the palace with guns…' He relived the chaos on the water kaleidoscope above him. He didn't get to see Esther, to see where she was and if she was injured, to find why Ion had attacked him, to explain. It was plain to say he was not ever allowed back in the castle. Mary seizing the perfect excuse of violence to shoot at him for luring Esther, and placing a price on his head, it seemed almost planned, how quickly she aimed to kill. He did not regret angering her, or having to leave the warm comfort of a royal room, but losing his comrade, and most importantly, Esther.

Thinking clearly, the purpose of his life was not Esther, but to kill Cain. Seth's voice warning him about human's short lives, how his beloved friend Caterina aged in the blink of an eye, while his own body only grazed by time. There was no difference between these two humans, and Abel knew he would cry with the same youthful eyes at both of their funerals. Noel was much stronger than Esther, and she too died, so fragile. How easy life would be if he could forget this one girl, the one thing he had to lose, what hadn't already been taken by death or lies. He wouldn't be happy, he never would. But maybe then he could sleep, at least rest knowing that his life was absolutely spendable. That no one wanted him alive, that he was nonexistent. Then he could sacrifice his life to kill Cain, or just like him have a body that falls apart with every movement. That everyone that knew him had never existed, and that Seth had forgotten him, and that his heart was immune to love. How simple his life would be, his goal clear and undisturbed. All this silliness of love and to even think that a monster like him could find it, forget it all. Be free.

Forgetting to breathe, he popped back up above and this time just held his face outside of the lukewarm water. Now he was finally feeling tired. The tears had receded and his eyes with some rest began to cool. His throat relaxed, and he sighed once again in the hopeless mood that overcame him every day. The same anemic face with listless eyes, the same limp and slouched back, the same heavy burdened legs, and always sadness. Immortal and fierce. Spent, he turned the handle on the pipes closed. Resting his eyes in the grey room, with the warm water as a blanket, nodded off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13 Focus

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Ch.13 Focus**

The door opened in the same run down hotel. Ion entered cautiously, searching for his comrade. Finding the bed, the most obviouse spot empty, padded on his tip toes into the small room. He wasn't beneath te bed or in the single faded armchair, or at the wndow, though he could smell his scent near. A narrow door leading to what he guessed was the suite's bathroom radiated the strongest scent.

Turning the knob he peeked through the opening. _'There you are_' He saw his silver head draped over the edge of the tub, but on following it to the rest of him was shocked.  
_'Damnit, naked? What is with this man?'_  
His mouth twisted in discomfort, he avoided looking at the sleeping man as he shook his shoulder harshly. Annoyed in his sleep, his placid face frowned and he twisted his arms out of his hands.  
"Abel," he tried in his boyish voice. When he didnt respond, he yelled loud enough for the neigboring floors to hear, "Abel!" _'Idiot, what does it take to wake him up?'_

Abel's body awoke with a jolt, making a loud tumbling noise. The people in the room below knocked on their ceiling. Ion could hear their muffled complaints. '_Its evening and this oaf is just stretching_' he thought angrily, '_And at a time like this_'

Rubbing the sleep from his face, the first thing Abel noticed was that he was exposed, the second being a very irked Ion flicking his eyes around everywhere in the tight bathroom except for his general air space. Shuffling to cover himself he stuttered,

"W-what are y-you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" He answered back, still not meeting his eyes. "Sleeping exposed in a bathtub in some suspicious hotel?"

"Its not suspicious, and I was bathing!"

"Really? With air and imaginary soap? You've become messy Abel."

"I'm not lying! There was water here when I fell asleep." he whined, true he was in a compromising position, but where the hell had he popped up from anyway? Who was he to say anything about suspicion, Abel should be the one asking questions. For example who's side was he on, attacking him so fiercely.

"How did you find me?" He asked him. He felt uncomfortable sitting naked like a child in the too-small tub, but he knew it would be worse if he were standing and yelling down at him from his height.

"You speak as if you do not wish to be found by me". the little blonde remarked, sneaking a momentary softened look at his partner.

Abel finally met eyes with him, and past his boying stuborness saw a tinge of sadess.

"You've been here all along?" Ion asked looking at him worriedly. He saw genuine relief in his eyes. "Its good to see you in one peice."

"Can't cause much harm in just one day." He combed his hair out of his face, most of the blood had dissolved but he still felt dirty, both inside and out.

"One day?" Ion cocked an eyebrow, "You've been gone for three days tonight."

Abel blinked several times in astonishment. That's why there was no water. It must've drained slowly through the gaps in the plug in three days time. He couldn't believe he had been sleeping for that long. Just then he realized how hungry he was. He took his hands away from his lap to feel his skin, it felt clammy. It must've taken at least a day for the water to drain, then two to sleep there drying like a towel.

Ion cleared his throat and looked off into the tiny space in the bathroom. Unless he had a keen intrest in tasteless wallpaper, this was as much as he was going to share with Abel as long as he remained exposed.

"Oh! Forgive me Ion, could you please hand me something from the room? I didn't bring anything in here with me." He asked apologetically, covering himself again.

"You didn't bring anything period. Here." Ion tossed in a bloodied pair of cream colored pants.  
Abel felt his chest ache at the tsight of it. No matter how long he slept he couldn't escape his current situation. He found himself wanting to fall back asleep the pants off of the side o the bathtub he asked weakly, "is Esther alright?" This question only grazed what he felt he needed to ask. His real concern was if he had seen any movement from cain, or if he had seen the shape-shifting maid again. He figured his sister would have enough eyes in the city to tell him, he was sure she was watching him now.

"She was in shock for a while then she slept through it. She's perfectly fine physically...," a wad of cloth he recognized as the window curtains landed on his lap ". .. however as far as mentally, she's a nervouse wreck."

Abel's heart fell further. Once again the same burning to disappear came over him. Standing up slowly, he wrapped and knotted the curtain around his waist. Despite its length it still didn't reach the floor.

"My everything is sore" he complained.

"I'm not surprised, you've slept in a soup bowl for three days." Ion said humorously, "not exactly your brightest moment." he chuckled darkly. The preist was so ridiculous at times it lightedned the heavyness of their constant troubles. He saw Abel's smile fall and approached him.

"What happened to you back there, when we were attacked?" Abel asked him in a low voice.

"I can't remember. I was held in the palace's hospital wing until this afternoon. But I kept contact with her majesty your sister through page. I was poisoned heavily, that is all we know. Although the source was identified as a cocktail of flowers found in the empire. The maid's true name we could not find." Ion sighed sadly, "I apologize. I was not myself." His eyes fell closed, thinking of the only part of that night he could remember, he felt ashamed to have fallen into her trap."

"Does Seth know where he is?" Abel looked at him intensely, "Is he close to the palace?"

"From what little we were able to cover, with me being critically intoxicated, no. Not near the palace anyway."

Abel felt the tension in his chest relax a degree or two. He was releived, but he knew he could not be in the palace to protect Esther. Her gaurds, and Mary now knew someone was after esther, and thought that Abel was a murderer. He imagined that even stepping on the path to the gate would prove impossible to him. Ion of course, was a different story.

"And what do they think of you?" he asked, stepping out of the bathroom and beggining to rummage around for something closer to clothes.

"I was found injured by you, so they immediately thought I cut off from you, and I didn't argue. We needed some kind of way into the palace, and I think Mary approves of me to some degree." Ion's cheeks grew slightly pink. Abel pretended not to notice. The closest thing he found in the room was a yellowed bath robe.

_'This is insane, I don't have time for this I need to focus'_ he dropped the robe on the floor and automatically went for his suitcase. Then, mentally slapping himself, remembered he had run here with no luggage, not even his wallet or glasses.

"Do you know what they did with my luggage?" he looked over his shoulder at the boy tapping his foot near the window. He saw him snap out of a deep blush.

"They gathered everything you touched and have it off limits in the closet of the room you occupied. The whole area is being inspected."

"Damn." he swore. "Do you know where Seth is now?"

Ion blinked several times and looked off into space.

"Her bakery most likely."

"Get her here, and tell her to bring me something to wear."

Ion started for the door, but his shoulder was caught by Abel as he sped past him.

"Actually, broaden it to something that fits, and remind her that my goal is not to stand out. Knowing her I would be in the same outfit as you."

Ion smirked at him but didn't know whether to be insulted or not about his royal clothes.

"I'll do my best to remember that." he said sarcastically and left using haste.


	14. Chapter 14 Plans

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Trinity Blood**

**Ch.14 Plans**

**Thank you all so much for your support! It's odd to think that being terribly sick has been so fun but it has. With nothing being expected of me from anyone because i can hardly speak from a sore throat, Ive had all the time in the world to catch up on FanFic. Its hilarious to try and summarize this story to a friend that doesn't know about trinity blood, and i realized how tangled all the ideas were. If you think its too much please say so. I'm so used to simply writing that I dont think about how it might look to others because i know whats going on in my head. Help me improve by telling me if its starting to get confusing. And thank you all again for being so nice and never flaming me:)**

Seth locked the door, closing the bakery down for the night. Although no one was interested in sweets past eight, she still kept the doors open in the hope that someone would keep her busy. The woman she rescued a few nights back, still remaining unnamed, watched her from the back like a rescued puppy. Just as she was about to walk to draw the curtains, she saw a figure running down the street. She recognized the girl to be Esther's nervous page. Giggling at the poor girl running in such heavy and elaborate clothes, she unlocked the door again.

Panting, the little page rested her hands on her knees, caught her breath and stepped inside.

"Sorry for intruding at this hour madam, but her highness Princess Esther wishes to see you first thing in the morning tomorrow." she said with her usual trembling voice. The woman in the back narrowed her eyes. A small look of panic flashed over them.

"It is late, why would she send you at this hour? I swear Esther must be a mess." Seth shook her head.

The girl ignored her addressing of her princess so intimately, and continued, "I was sent so that the guards do not know I left for you. You must bring this invitation and say you received it in the mail a week ago. If they ask about any incident, her highness has instructed that you 'play dumb' and do not react. She also tells me that you know what that means." she looked Seth with sad and embarrassed eyes. She was so shy it was unbearably adorable.

Seth patted her head and smiled. "No problem. Now i suggest you slow down, night air is unhealthy for a young girl like you.

"Yes mam, and good night." with that the girl bowed her head and showed herself out, jogging down the street.

Seth strolled to where the woman she rescued sat and carefully tore open the letter. It was dated cleverly exactly a week before tomorrow. She was no stranger to what had happened in the palace two nights before, keeping in close contact with Ion. But being invited to the palace all of a sudden worried her. Wasn't Ion enough to keep her safe. She wondered if this was about Abel.

"Baker instructor?" Seth read out loud from the letter with a skeptic look. _'So this is her plan'_ she couldn't stay at a time like this in the palace with no excuse. If she was her instructor, she could stay with the tutors. She giggled at her excuse, why would a princess want to suddenly bake like a professional. It was made even funnier by the lack of proof that she was even studies as a baker. She had no certificate or any other proof other than word of mouth that she was a credible baker.

She glanced down at the dark haired woman to find her chewing her nails until they bled and then growing them out even longer. She did not question her odd behavior, this was only one in a long list of odd things she has seen the woman do, apart from being found so close to her shop and not telling her the why or how, or even her name. Seth knew she had her reasons, and that she wasn't just ungrateful, but the two hardly talked, and wouldn't let her go touch her after she cured her.

"It looks like I won't be here for a few days." Seth told her, as motherly as she was being, she did not trust the woman with her shop.

The woman merely stopped chewing her nails and tucked her legs under her. After a moment of silent thought she stood. Delphine was much taller than her personal nurse, but she did not change her form. Since she was found she did not regrow her hair at any rate other than normal, and did not change her height. This was the first time she saw that Seth was somehow connected to the target princess, and was grateful for not having been found out.

Seth smiled at her, though she thought she knew everything she never suspected the woman that Ion was searching for would be in front of her now, still recovering from silver poisoning and holy water. But she had no way of knowing. In his letters he never sent a picture, and he doesn't remember seeing her true face.

"I think it's time I leave then." she said thoughtfully. If she was not careful she would be at the hands of both Crusniks.

"Are you sure you're alright now?" Seth wanted to hug her but she knew the woman did not like contact. She was slightly hurt that she spoke to her so little. She was at a loss with her.

Not knowing what else to do, Delphine held out her hand to Seth. The girls shook hands, Seth with a slightly happier look than before.

"Thank you so much for all you did. I won't forget that." Delphine said. She knew she might be targeted in the future if she was going to tutor the princess. She promised to herself to never kill her.

"No problem. You needed it." With that she reached over the counter and plucked out a few tartlets and small chocolates and handed then over in a paper towel.

"Don't forget to come back soon." she giggled.

Delphine gave her a sorry look. She took the sweets and with one last lopsided smile, simply walked out silently. Reaching a few feet from the shop Seth watched her freeze and her chest rising with a sigh, break into haste.

Seth felt cold at being left so suddenly. She was hoping to crack her open before she left. She shrugged off the thought of that one rescue out of many and focused on her orders from the princess.

* * *

Later that night as she was preparing a cart to bring with her to the palace she heard a knock at the door again. With the windows closed, she approached the door with an annoyed look on her face.

_'Eventful day today isn't it'_

She expected to find the page again, but the little blonde head and golden eyes that smiled back at her belonged to none other than her darling Ion.

"Good evening." he said happily, bowing deeply. He was wearing his black noble suit and his leggings were torn and faded. He was embarrassed to always see her in such shape, but honestly what could he do about his 'work clothes'.

"Evening" she said with a smile. "I wish I could see you in the morning hours Ion. Then I wouldn't be so worried. Has something happened to Esther? Two little messengers in one night, makes me nervous."

"No actually, it's your brother this time." he placed his hand on the door, and giving her a humble look, pleaded to come inside.

Seth moved out of the way of the door and Ion climbed up the narrow brick steps.

"Are you busy?" he asked when he saw the cart and table clothes, surprised at the hour, according to the clock on the wall it was 2:35 am.

"You don't know about tomorrow morning? Esther invited me to the palace to tutor her in baking." she said, giggling.

"Esther wants you with her? Abel needs help around the city, he's wanted."

"I'll be watching from inside the palace, I still have my eyes." she said relaxed.

"You can't be borrowed for tonight? He's back in his cloud you know how hard it is to deal with him when he's like this."

"Oh him" she pouted, stomping her feet a little, "If it's not one thing it's the other. I thought to wrap up early today and actually get some rest."

Ion gave her a strange look._'early?'_

"Then could I just borrow something for Abel. He doesn't have anything to wear at the moment. He thought you might have something. And to add it in his own words _'nothing elaborate'._"

With an exasperated sigh Seth stopped placing dished on the cart and wiped her hands on her apron. Ion thought she looks exceptionally charming when she did little things like this. He would never grow accustomed to seeing her outside of the palace, and like everyone else doing ordinary chores.

"Honestly, is he really walking around naked again? It always happens o him. Did he damage them while fighting?" she shook her head and before hearing the answer, sped out of a door to the back of the shop.

"Ah..." he was left with a witty little comeback. She emerged again holding a long black undershirt. Under it was a familiar pair of black pants with thin legs that dragged on the floor. They were identical to those he wore when he couldn't wear his robes.

"So this is where he gets his endless supply of dull clothes."

"I had them stocked for my stay here." she said, like a mother would about her troublesome children. "Custom made for his burly physic" she laughed, "and of course fire proof. And easy to mend. Fit for all the crazy fixes he always finds his way into."

"I had no idea." he was a bit jealous. He had to take the trouble to see a tailor every once in a while. But then again, if it weren't for Seth Abel would be how he is now. Helpless and stuck in a room with nothing to wear. Then he felt proud, that she didn't feel she had to watch over him.

"Take these to him, we'll find a way to talk tomorrow if that's all he wants."

"I'm sure there's something else, but I'll try and find my way to you and Esther tomorrow. I wish I had some skill to tutor her in."

"Fencing?" she teased. Wrapping the clothes in brown paper and tying it with a string.

Ion chuckled and straightened his posture. Accustomed for days to sleeping at night and walking about in the day, he was extremely worn out. The silver still gave him fatigue.

"I'm only kidding. You have an amazing repertoire of talents. One of them is being noble. Like a lion." she twirled his golden hair in her hands. "You're getting taller." she smiled and beamed her bright jade eyes at him.

"Thank you your grace." He caught her hand and kissed it with a youthful smile. "But I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you, and good night."

Ion tucked the package under his arm and bowing at the door slipped out.

Walking back to the Hotel Monarch, not exactly as luxurious as it was named, he adored the feel of the cool breeze. Though, something hit him as he felt the lightness of the bag. There were no shoes or socks, no belt, and no…

He slapped his face in defeat.

"He's going to have to knit himself a pair. I'm too tired for this."

* * *

Abel waited for his partner to come back with clothes and his sister. Lying spread like a starfish on the wide bed, he followed the blades of the ceiling fan spin slowly until he was dizzy.

_'I wish I had a hydratable pair of emergency clothes. Just add water.'_ He sighed, somewhat recovering from  
his emotional dip and now feeling slightly silly again. It was a comforting defense mechanism, not as powerful when he was alone though.

'_How does this end up happening twice in one week?'_ A single self-pity chuckle escaped his lips, and he dragged his hands down his face. _'What twas I thinking?'_

Their kisses felt so crazy. Too rushed, like a sudden surge of mixed emotion. It escalated too quickly. He felt a rush of blood to his lips when he thought of her's. But he was ashamed of crashing in fornt of her. It was his own fault for charging at her so suddenly,_ 'what got into me?'_ It was like watching himself commit the same mistake over and over again under his eyelids.

'_Would it have gone differently if she had kissed me?_' he wondered._ 'If i hadn't started, I don't think I wouldv'e felt so guilty afterwards.' _But Esther had confessed to him so beautifully, everything smoothed over, clicked magically someplace in his chest. The night of the attack he wanted to make up for it at dinner, approach her like a gentleman, he wore white, let down his hair. But that wasn't meant to be.

He felt like a heartsick girl, switching from wanting to disappear and focus on his hunt, but always coming back to Esther's bright blue eyes, her fiery hair, perfect alabaster skin. _'Why is everything always so complicated'_

At least he was open with her, but he knew that while her feelings were always obvious, he never had the right words. _ 'well, they weren't the right words that time either.'_

With a sigh he flipped over onto his stomach, tracing the embroidered vines on the duvet. Even since the kiss he was a completely new Abel around her, but alone he was still a mess, and now that he felt the high she gave him, felt twice as alone.

_'I can't believe I'm still tired. After three damn days. Hungry too'_

Stuck in his room, he ran his fingers over and over the pattern, the light on the nightstand too dim for much else. He was gratefull enough for the wide bed, he could sleep with his legs spread, not tucked in up to his chin.

He tried to imagine what it would be like to sleep with another person, tucked up to his chin.

_'What am I thinking, what do I know about women._' He had proved that to himself already. _'But where did the dancing sprout from, and the holding, loving her comes almost naturally. Maybe it is possible'_

So much had happened in too little time. It was ironic that he of all people would need _time_ to cross over. He was no longer a priest, not just without the AX, but without the church, and it made his shoulders heavy. It was the strangest feeling of detachment to something he dedicated himself so strongly too, relied to relieve his sins. Now thrown aside for something he couldn't have.

"I suggest you either take a jog or go to sleep Nightroad, you look worse every time i open this door."

With all hisbrooding, Abel hadn't even heard Ion come in. He was standing at the foot of the bed with a pakage under his arm. Tossing it to him, he gave him a seriouse look.

"Seth was invited to tutor Esther tomorrow. Mary did not approve of this beforehand, so I'm going to arrive before her, lossed her a bit. With luck, we'll both be in the palace watching her. She couldn't be in any safer hands."

Abel swallowed his words.

"I want you closer. Leave in the morning whenever you feel comfortable, buy something to wear underneath your pants and then move closer to the palace."

"Seth couldn't make it tonight." he finally said, unwrapping the pcakage and shaking out the clothes.

"No she wanted to sleep." Ion said it almost unbelievingly.

"I can't sleep." he said roughly. Standing up he took the clothes into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Where are you going to walk to?" He asked, almost amazed by the quick fluctuation of both siblings. A second ago he looked as if he had been dragged along the streets behind a speeding car, now he hops up out of bed and goes for a walk in the middle of the night. Ridiculous.

He tried louder through the door. He had enough. Esther was awake in the day, and he wanted to be at perfect attention. "Where are you walking too?" he yelled.

Abel walked out calmly in his usual slouch like nothing had happened. "A walk to clear my mind." he sais simply.

"Do whatever you like then. I don't care." Ion's short temper spat back.

"Sounded like you did." Abel was uncharacteristically on edge then. he walked out without saying anything else, the boy was beginning to annoy him. As influential and strong as he was, he was still just a kid, and he didn't understand.


	15. Chapter 15 Good Freinds

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Ch.15 Good****Friends**

**Vatican AX, Caterina's Office**

Caterina filed her nails in her lavish chair. Against the wall like a stone statue was Tres, rigid and unmovable beyond what any human could accomplish. Her small ears picked up a slight whirring coming from him as the phone began to ring loudly. She jumped a little and looked over her nails. In less than a second Sister Kate was in from of her coffee wood desk.

"It's from a mobile in Albion. We do not know how they acquired your personal number." she said almost apologetically.

Caterina gave her a bored look. If the number was a mobile, whoever it was didn't mean business. Maybe it was an emergency, but then again, she wasn't the emergency contact. Usually if any information needed to get to her, Kate would appear, like she did now, or the intercom on her desk would click on. This was hardly worth answering.

Kate looked like she had something to say, but second guessed it. Her mouth was open, about to speak, she closed her mouth again as she watched the phone ring and Caterina ignore it.

"If I may, Lady Caterina, for someone to call ten times, and at this particular number, I think it might be..." she almost feared ending her sentence.

"Ten?" Caterina said in a higher, interested voice.

"I try to keep your line clean, so I took the care to silence any calls from an unknown number. Its registered with a company in Albion. I didn't find anything else about it, seems rather skeptical."

Sighing and putting down her metal nail file, she straightened in her chair and reached nonchalantly for the phone's golden back. Holding it an inch from her ear she spoke calmly to the persistant caller.

"Lady Caterina? Good Morning!" she heard a childish voice call out. She was glad she was holding the phone away from her.

"Yes good morning, may I ask who this is?" she said impatiently.

"Oh! Forgive me, this is Augusta calling from outside the empire. Excuse the number, I purchased this mobile upon arriving here a few days ago. I was wondering If i would be able to get in contact with you! Everything is so difficult here!"

Kate, listening to the voice through her own wire, flicked her head to give her superior an urgent look.

"Your majesty Augusta?" Caterina said almost disbelievingly, "Please, forgive _me."_

_"_No worries at all Lady Caterina! But I am pinched for time, could i ask for your help with one of your former agents? We believe that Contra Mundi is targeting Princess Esther."

Caterina blinked at the information she was given. It was a sunny morning in Rome, it was a slow and painfully easy day. Now she would be involved once again not only with her 'former agent', but with the Contra Mundi and Albion.

"How can I-How can we assist you?" She gave Kate one look and Kate nodded, a mechanical chirp sounded and information could be seen flying behind her eyes.

Tres remained silent.

"If I could ask you for just one of your agents, We need power patrolling outside of the palace in the city. Ion and myself are closely guarding Lady Esther, but I'm afraid...Abel will need help."

Both Kate and Caterina flinched at the word even Seth was delicate with.

"I will send Tres immediately." she said in her iron voice. Tres right eye blinked an odd color as he received lists of data concerning transportation to Albion from Kate.

"Actually If I may ask for one of your agents in particular..." Seth trailed.

"Hm?" her eye brow arched when she heard the name that the Empress spoke. To her this important business on the phone, not even by a messenger was risky, but to ask for him, was even riskier.

"Very well. If your mind is made up. He will be there immediately."

"Thank you!" anyone standing within a ten foot radius of the room could hear Seth say ecstatically.

After a few more seconds on details and good-byes, Caterina placed the phone down on the receiver. Kate folded her hands in front of her meekly.

"It seems he is still alive." she finally said. She had doubted it before, but somehow always thought every unknown number was his. That he would call any day and ask for Caterina.

"Ready everything quickly, I want him there by tomorrow morning." The steel woman placed her shoulders on the desk hevily and folded her fingers together. Kate could see the stress in her eyes.

"Yes mam, and should I bring tea?"

"Yes please." she sighed.

Kate dissipated from the room and Caterina was left to herself.

"Oh Abel." she rubbed her temples. A cloud of sadness and worry collected in her muscles. She could feel the familiar hopelessness enter her.

"I pray I can live to see this end."

Abel turned over in his sleep. His gun holster pressed sharply against his groin, and he hissed. Blinking away sleep, he propped himself up on his elbows. The carpet beneath him matched the one in his hotel suite, but there was no bed or chairs. The hallway he had fallen asleep in was blocked completely by his twisted body.

'_Did I pass out last night?_'

The door number directly above his head was the one on his hotel card. He had fallen asleep at the door of his suite.

'_Close enough, I suppose_.'

Rubbing his sore head he attempted to sit up, only to slowly crick into place lie snapping wood. All his bones ground and popped from the restless position. His neck hurt the most, being twisted against the door. Feeling like he needed another three day hot bath, he used his knee for support on standing. He wondered how many people had walked over him in his sleep. And what time it was. Cricking his neck and sighing he reached for the door knob. Before even turning it, he heard a throaty chuckled muffled by his door.

Gasping he wrenched the door open, but with bewildering force, the door swung at him with more strength than he possessed in that state.

"Shit father, what kept ya'?" the tall dark man behind the door yelled with a wide mischievous smile on his face.

Abel flopped around like a wet noodle. Enjoying the moment he had planned since he walked over the man in the hall, Father Leon grabbed the skinny man's bare shoulder with his paws.

"Haven't aged a bit Father whats your secret?" he asked him, grinning.

Abel, still not completely awake and having trouble finding his ground, fixed the decoy glasses on his nose. He was still recovering from the shock of finding his old partner in his room when he felt his calloused hand shake his shoulder again.

"D-Damnit Leon, gimme a minute!" he yelled weakly.

"Not until I see some backbone" he taunted. "If you're gonna pass out drunk, you knew this was comin'. Stop rubbin your head Miss Nightroad, get'cha goddamn feet down on the ground!"

Leon was one hell of a relentless coach. Abel stomped his feet on the ground and missed the weight of his AX boots. His new leather ones didn't help anchor him. He finally gained his ground and glared at his partner. Leon's arm attempted to shake him off his feet, but he strained to stay upright. Finally he let him go. He realized that he probably looked like a mess, with the sarcasm of his previous compliment.

"Leon..." he began, feeling the bags under his eyes become heavier. "What are you doing here? Who sent you?" Abel doubted he would escape from jail just to tease his old partner.

"Caterina of course!" He said like it was blatantly obvious.

"Caterina?" he blinked. Abel never thought he'd have anything to do with her again.

"Yeah, I was sent to babysit this place with you. What's wrong Abel, gettin' rusty?"

"I didn't know. I didn't send you." he said. After a second of thought he knew precisly who it was.

'_Seth really is ubiquitous'_

"Well whoever sent me, I'm here. You're a sad mess man." he let go of his shoulder and took a step back, looking at the thin and beaten pole in front of him.

Abel closed the space between them like a zombie, begging to enter the warmer room, and even warmer bath.

"Before we settle things out. I really need a bath." he said almost in a whisper.

Leon gave him an angry look and shook his head. His wild mane of black hair waved around his disappointed face. Abel noticed a few smaller wrinkles on his forehead, and frown lines around his mouth. He had aged.

He felt a sudden small wave of sadness overcome him, and he caught himself gazing at Leon's face only inches away. He could see Leon's sweat drop in the awkward space. Apologizing he clarified, "You look tired. How have you been?"

"I haven't been assigned a mission for awhile. I'll die in that prison, I know it." he said it in a low voice, and shrugged it off. A cold look barred his eyes.

Abel made a sad clicking noise with his tongue. Leon met eyes with him and quickly looked away. Opening the door wider, he let Abel drag himself in.

"You really haven't aged a bit. Look a little worn around the edges there though." He commented. The room creaked and settled undder their movement. The hotel really was a dump. Leon turned on the ceiling fan. After a moment, when Abel had sat down on the bed and had started removing his boots he spoke up,

"Do you know how many years you have left?" He couldnt hide the sad curiosity in his voice.

"Too many." Abel answered blankly. His fingered fumbled on the lace as he said it.

Leon picked up on the hint and dropped the subject. Looking around the room he had been in for some time now, he burned time.

"You're not in your vestments." he pointed out. Looking for anything to talk about and choosing the most obvious.

"I'm not a priest anymore. " He admitted, refusing to give the subject any emotion, "I don't think I truly ever was." He kept his answers short, never leaving the straps on his boots.

"Oh." was all Leon could say. "I always thought you had that helping kinda look to ya. Kindness."

"Yes well..."

"I'm sorry then. I'll just let you thaw out. I could use some Z's myself. Damn trains and cabs kept me up all night. You wont believe how much of a stickler Kate is about time. Rushed me here just to find you wrecked outside. Where'd you go drinkin' anyway?"

"Nowhere. I don't go out drinking simply because I'm not a priest. I don't even remember falling asleep to be honest. It worries me." he said, still mentally piecing together the events of the night before.

"You should try it sometime. Maybe then you'de smile. You're depressing today, Jesus. Oops sorry, not supposed to say that." he smiled at him. Abel was already halfway in the bathroom door.

"You should get some rest then. I need to catch you up." He said, scratching the back of this head.

"No problem!" he said enthusiastically, kicking off his boots with ease and throwing himself into bed.

"If I don't come out in an hour, break down the door. We have work to do today." He was so exhausted he didn't doubt the same thing would happen as before.

"Dido sad-eyes."

Abel gave him a tired chuckle and shut the door quietly.

Seth was able to get a moment alone. In the palace now, she had spent the morning waiting while the security went through her bags and tested every cake, breaking the icing she had so meticulously fluffed on the tops. Breaking open cakes with unnecessary force. Sitting quietly on the wide window sill, she flipped open a small personal computer she had brought with her from the empire. Typing with super-human speed, she accessed a line to Leon's communicator. The line was dead. She tried again, and still nothing.

She cursed his absentmindedness. It was no time to have the thing shut off. She needed to be in contact with him at all times. It was expected of the priest, she picked him knowing there would be gaps in efficiency, but Abel needed a bit of hot blood to kick him into shape. She still had little idea what happened between them, but it left him in sorry shape. Typing even faster she reached Astha's communicator and heard her womanly voice answer. She heard Ion ask if it was her in the distance.

She had set her to watch over the palace from the outside along with Ion, and rested assure that there was no way Contra Mundi would be able to see inside.

Having checked that everything was as it should be, she closed the small computer with a sigh. A single raindrop tapped against the tall glass, then little by little larger ones followed until the noise of rain drowned out any other thoughts.

"So much for a sunny morning..." she tapped her fingers on the glass, landing on each droplet as they slid slowly down the fogging glass.

"What are you up to, Nii-san."Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the calm slowing and quickening of the rain, and the occasional wind that would throw water loudly against where she drummed her fingers. Rainy weather would surely slow the two down. Abel was never very animated, only when he was hiding something. After Noel, he hit a slow streak. Flipping from one idle thought to the other, Seth sunk in the cushions. She didn't know when Abel's birthday was. She felt horrible!

But then again, she wasn't sure when her own birthday was, and wondered how long she had lived. _'If only I had the memory to keep count...maybe it's best'_

She heard the light tip toeing of the maids outside in the hall, feeling like a good cup of tea, she stood to ring the bell.

_'I wonder if Abel knows how old he is'_

Reaching the door she leaned against the button, a faraway bell ringing.

"Sorry for the wait my lady. Is there something I can do for you?" A short haired maid looked up at her through thick rimmed glasses.

"Could I have some green tea?" she asked her with a smile. She would get it herself, but it would be a mess finding everything in the huge kitchen. She always loved to bake on rainy days.

"Yes my lady, right away." she scampered off into the hall.

Seth was left at the door, feeling terribly bored and lonely. She couldn't let the palace guards know she had two Methuselah just outside, or that she was anyone other than who she posed to be, and Esther was tied with her other tutors until lunch.

"A baking tutor, honestly. he can be so silly, and after this whole ordeal they still let me in the palace."

She closed the door behind her and padded over the the same cushions on the wide sill. She wondered where in the rain her other brother was hiding.

"Miss Delphine!" a dark voice chimed from inside a poorly lit room. The candles lent just enough for the injured Methuselah to see her Master's fanged mouth smiling, but she wondered why he had chosen to meet her in a different room this time.

"I never insult a lady, but you do look much duller than when you last saw me no? Much _filthier_."

She took in a harp breath, the last word was drawn out with a heavy dose of malice.

"You smell like brat." the Contra Mundi continued, now unfolding his entwined fingers and reaching for a shard of glass on the desk in front of him.

Delphine winced at the glint of the painful crystal, now spotted with dried blood.

She hated to leave the girl called Seth, the warmth she had provided her with. But she felt cornered at every second, that she would be found, that she would be sitting in the same chair she is now, looking at the same man who killed her daughter in front of her eyes.

"Now, I didn't ask for much Miss Delphine. I simply asked you to do what you pride yourself in, and you failed me. Not only are both of them alive, but on speaking terms. So help to figure out just what it was that you accomplished?" The glass scraped with a hiss against his nails.

She couldn't speak. Her hands were shaking.

"As I expected." The blonde demon clicked his fingers and in a second, the Magician was at the door. He waltzed over taking his time, holding a metal platter in his hands with a domed lid. Meeting the Contra Mundi's eyes, he lifted the lid slowly with a smirk. Inside were little pink cylinders set on golden foil.

"Take whichever loosens your tongue Miss Delphine."

Squinting in the light she stretched to see what it was without getting too close. In the now even dimmer light she saw what it was.

"Oh!" she covered her mouth, keeping the sob that hit her away from the two sadistic men. thin womanly fingers criss-crossed each other on the foil, set like a plate of, sickeningly, lady fingers.

"Oh Kampher how cruel," he said in a pleading voice," You know how much I liked that last one, don't bring those here!" he smiled so wide his mouth nearly reached his ears. His eyes swam in purple and red. His voice deepened, "Now I'm tempted."

Delphine whimpered, holding her mouth shut with her hands as she cried silently, rocking slowly in her seat.

"Methuselah have the ability to save these you know, but she'll have greater chances the sooner you tell me what you plan to do. I let you play with the baker, but work is work."

"I-" She still couldn't speak.

"You-?" he teased. After a few weak mumbles, he waved Kampher away, and he covered the platter and walked calmly out.

"I hope we can be good friends Miss Delphine, but you're making it hard to like you."

"I-I-" she still stuttered. Those were her mother's fingers. She was the only thing she had left. It all seemed unreal, how quickly her life had spiraled from the famous mistress of the empire's richest, to nothing, all at the hands of one man.

"I'll give you another chance to woo me, this time you'll get to meet another one of my friends."

Delphine nodded frantically. She couldn't afford to fail again. Whoever it was they needed to die. Se only cared about her daughter's life, her own was second.

"Good, you'll be in Rome by dawn tomorrow. Kampher will bring you a pair of decent male clothes."

Delphine just kept nodding.

With a satisfied chuckle he slammed down the shard of glass in his palm on the table, shattering it into dust, calmly stood and left Delphine alone to shake.


	16. Bonus Chapter 16 Makeup Work

**Trinity Blood**

**Heir to the Throne of Roses**

**Bonus Chapter: Make-Up Work**

Hello again everyone, I thought I would add in a little good-old-fashion unplanned fun as an apology for not keeping up with my updates. Not Yaoi I promise! Though i did have to limit myself. This is after all my second favorite pairing. Next chapter will be up soon. Thanks to everyone who faved and reviewed, you guys are the best!

_For Abel & Leon fans_

* * *

"Leon, would you please tell me where you're taking me?" Abel whimpered, blood drained from his face. Seth knew Leon would not put up with Abel's deadbeat attitude, and he quickly re-wrote his own plans for the evening. It involved waking the overgrown child up before nightfall, Leon saw his mistake in the X-priest's face as Leon dragged him by the arm across the streets of Albion, blindfolded. Abel's feet, kept from twisting only by his tight boots, crossed in front of each other as he walked. He had spent the entire night dreaming and hardly felt rested.

"Now if I told you, I wouldn't be able to drag you along this easily." Leon mocked him. The ladies walking by whispered to each other as he pushed by the oncoming crowd. He gave them all a very _"Leon" _smirk. One earned a special two fingered salute, along with a flash of pearly teeth, bright against his copper skin.

"Leon…" Abel complained. He wasn't sure who he was bumping shoulders with on the sidewalk, stuttering out one _"Sorry"_ after another. It was awkward enough being as lanky as he was, but not knowing what's in front of you really adds to the clumsiness. Whenever they stepped off the sidewalk and into the gutter, Abel would trip and catch himself on Leon. He did not appreciate the contact.

"Can I have a hint?" he tested as they stepped onto another path. Abel noisily avoided losing his teeth on a lamppost that he was not warned about.

"No." Leon replied promptly. Abel only heard him take a deep breath, and pause, "Well, it starts with a…." He rubbed the bristles on his chin, "No no. I can't tell you, you'll start wailin' on me."

"Well is it legal?" The X-priest tripped over his own feet and onto the shorter, but sturdier man's shoulders. "I'm not sorry." He mock-apologized stubbornly.

Leon shrugged him off, and with one powerful tug, pulled the man like a scarf out from behind him. Facing him, he tapped his temples purposefully hard. "As legal as sex."

"I want to be a priest again." The taller man whined. Clutching the sides of his head to keep them from exploding, he made a noise like a kicked puppy. He felt every heartbeat behind his eyes. "And it's only legal if it's _consensual_…" He pointed out.

"Quit your whining smartass." Leon spat.

The Night was falling, the last orange glow fading behind the rooftops. It wasn't hot at all, in fact the most pleasant breeze played with his bangs, but he took the night as an excuse to pull the long coat of his cassock and sling them over one shoulder. To complete the look, unbuttoning and rolling his sleeves to the elbow, opening his shirt even lower into a deeper V that reached his toned stomach.

"Woo, much better." He said energetically, a girl he caught staring gave him an embarrassed giggle. The loose dog was thoroughly enjoying his freedom.

"I can't believe I was let out for this. This is too easy."

"I don't know what you're doing Leon, but keep in mind we're on duty today." Abel could only guess what was happening beyond his blindfold. Leon squeezed his arm painfully.

"Hey! You're not on duty till I say you are. You're not going back to the Hotel until you wipe that sorry look off your face!" Leon barked at him. He reminded Abel of military drill sergeant. I guess it was his time in jail that justified his overpowering nature. Or maybe it was his Spanish blood.

Abel attempted an unconvincing smile.

"Pathetic." Leon rubbed his face with one plate-sized hand.

He grabbed Abel's shirt by the neck, and was ready to drag him along, but stopped, and tested the stretch of the fabric with his fingers.

"Hm…"

"What are you onto now?" Abel tilted his head, still blind, hoping to hear what was going on better.

Leon thoughtfully rubbed his thumb over the mesh of custom made cloth before giving it a hard yank. A yank from Leon was more than enough to rip open the shirt, revealing Abel's pale chest, as well as bring the man tumbling forward.

"For Christ's sake Leon!" Abel tore the silly blindfold off and regained his height. He fixed the thin metal glasses on his nose out of habit. He gaped down at his ruined shirt. Leon thought his face was priceless as the taller man grasped at the frayed black edges of his ruined shirt with anger. "I_ just_ got this replaced!"

Leon slapped his cheek hard, bringing color to his face. For the first time since he saw his old friend, he looked alive.

"Y-you!" Abel was still disoriented. His eyes wide, glasses crooked.

"There we go!" Leon gave his a strong pat on the shoulder, Abel glaring at him. "Now we just gotta keep from lookin' like a couple of fags. Take a few steps back will ya sad-eyes?"

Abel glared daggers at his face, taking a few weak, reluctant steps back. "This better be productive somehow."

"Yep. Let's go." Leon began to stomp down the sidewalk. Abel argued whether or not to follow, but being defeatist, trudged unwillingly along. He would not admit he was mildly interested in where they were going, though he had an idea.

Leon boasted his broad chest proudly. He drove the girls absolutely mad! Abel watched half enviously as he played them like an actor on a stage. The built Spaniard faked several yawns, showing off his sculpted neck bones, acting disinterested, ran his hands through his long black curls and winked. Every woman regardless of age or status stole as long of a glance as they could as he walked purposefully slow. He and Abel were both in exposing shirts (Abel's being customized) , but Abel caught no stares from women. Although he was sure there was one man. He self-consciously pulled at the tattered V, trying to cover as much skin as he could, but it was hopeless. In the night, the air chilled his skin, urging small waves of goose bumps.

"You gotta learn to play 'em." Leon cracked, shooting him a humored look over his shoulder, reading his mind. "Try the hair."

He was starting to wonder if this exercise of futility was in any way related to his assignment. When he ignored Leon's advice, the convict priest stopped abruptly and caught Abel at arm's length.

He rolled his eyes, ready for Leon to yank something else off of him.

"Don't make me touch you." The darker man warned.

Fumbling, Abel reached for the black ribbon that tamed his hair, and giving it a gentle pull, let waves of his silver hair cascade gracefully over his back and shoulders. It caught the golden lamplight in ripples, people immediately around him stopped in their tracks. He fluttered his silver lashes open seductively without meaning to. A stray strand of silver flipped in front of his face, and he puckered his lips to blow it away. Even Leon felt his breath catch in his throat.

Abel bore into Leon's eyes intensely through his glasses. What was meant as irritation played as temptation on his elegant features. Leon's face was blank.

"Uhm…Leon?" He said awkwardly, shrinking back into his self-consciousness.

Leon blinked out of his daze. Quickly, the same prepotent expression dominated his thick Spanish lips. He hooked a thumb into his pants and rubbed his chin again.

"T-that's more like it." He covered for his temporary awe.

Abel was beautiful, almost angelic, in a way that he was sure the other had not intended. He wasn't a natural lady-killer, but he was breath-taking.

Spinning around on his heels, Leon walked at a faster pace down the same side walk, eyes targeting a sign that hung about half a block away.

Abel blinked in confusion and sped up to keep in pace. Next to Leon, he followed the direction of his eyes to a large wooden sign painted with two large black letters. "B.B's" he formed the words with his lips. A large group of men shoved their way through the double doors, and a hoarse racket erupted from inside.

Abel grabbed Leon's shoulders with what little strength hadn't been slapped or shoved out of him.

"No." he shook his head frantically. "Absolutely NOT." He had never touched a drop of alcohol, it was a weak human addiction. Today he had more important matters to resolve.

Leon peeled Abel's middle finger off of his shoulder and touched it to the back of his hand, making him cry out and snap his hand back to his chest protectively.

"Leon!" He protested.

"You're at least going in, we walked all this damn way to have you chicken out!"

"Leon we have more important things to do!" Esther's face flashed momentarily in his mind.

"Screw whatever the fuck you think you need to do. Do you see yourself? You're practically walking dead!" Leon closed the space between their faces. Abel shut his eyes at his partner's barking.

"Now if I'm not enough to shake it offa ya, I know other ways!" Precisely in time, a glass fell and shattered inside the bar, a shard shot out clinking down the cobble stones from under the wide gap of the double doors. Leon tugged Abel in, silver hair swirling around his face as he childishly kicked and struggled against him. He was too tired to overpower Leon when he was this way.

Crashing through the door, the loud spectacle caught everyone's attention. In his loudest boom Leon shouted over the radio "LADIES THIS IS ABEL, WHY DON'T YOU SHOW HIM A GOOD TIME!"

Abel clung to his hated partner for dear life, but was ripped away by the nearest group of growling men. Before he could regain his feet, the bar suddenly exploded into yells of "LADIES?" and "I'LL SHOW HIM SOMETHIN ALRIGHT!" and Abel was tossed around like pizza dough, something Leon had intended from the start. Abel felt his brain knocking around in his skull with every change of direction. The men punched his gut, and some poured the dregs of their drinks over his head, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat and alcohol. He felt someone reach into his front pocket and pull something out. Another hand snuck to his gun holster, and in trying to free the weapon, pulled Abel crashing into him. The two had a very short and one-sided brawl, and Abel was spit out, wheezing, onto the bar.

By the time every man on the way to the bar had finished with him, he was so dizzy he wasn't sure he had survived with all his limbs intact. He caught the edge of the slick wood, keeping from breaking his rib over it. Leon was already at the chair next to him, and had just finished saying something to the bartender when they both broke out into roaring laughter.

It took him a moment to catch his breath. "What was that?" Abel slumped into a chair and checked his pockets_. "My wallet!"_

"Like the welcoming party?" Leon said jokingly.

"I _hate_ you." Abel seethed, eyes opened to full circles. He fastened the gun holster tighter to his slender waist. Leon watched from the corner of his eye with joy as Abel continued to pant furiously and dry his chest with his shirt.

"At least you're showing some emotion."

Abel opened his mouth to yell a comeback, but the bartender had returned, holding two shot glasses of icy clear liquid in each hand. He placed two in front of each of them. Abel found it strangely gentle of the built man to place them carefully in front of them. Didn't bartenders in movies usually slide them over? He thought the liquid would have been wasted if it had been slammed dramatically. Those were his only thoughts as he stared cluelessly down at the two glasses. Leon gave the bartender a quick salute, and the man disappeared behind a beaded curtain to tinker with the radio. The stations filtered through static, and finally shrill fiddling violated his ears. _'Curse the Irish'_ Raising his head, Abel could hardly hear what Leon said just then over the loud blare of music and sudden jostling all around him. He prayed the noise would be enough to deafen him before he went insane.

Sticking his fat tongue out, Leon downed one of his shots with a mischievous face, and slamming it down, moved on to the next, this one pulling at the edges of his mouth. Leon looked as calm as if he had just downed warm milk. Realistically, it was nothing, but not to Abel.

The slumped X-priest shook his head when his partner motioned to his own two glasses of alcohol he didn't care for. _'What is this anyway?' _he wondered. Leon said something else with a frown but he couldn't hear that either. He felt his glasses being snatched from his nose. Before he could react, Leon splashed the contents of the first shot glass into his awaiting eyes. When Abel cried in pain, he snuck the second down his throat. The X-priest fanned his face with his hands, overwhelmed. The pain spread from his eyes to a burning sensation in his throat. He suddenly felt flustered. He choked on the last of the freezing cold vodka. He threw a coughing fit bent over the bar. Clutching at the shirt on his stomach he gaped like a fish out of water.

Leon anticipated what he would do next. He was afraid he had finally pushed the Crusnik too far. When he recovered, Abel spun around violently to face him, red in the face with hair sticking to his cheeks and eyes bloodied. He heard him give a feral growl, and where his hands gripped the bar they left dents.

Leon felt his own heart skip higher, excited by the danger of his teasing. Abel bared his still human teeth, and Leon noticed his back heaving with every wild breath of fury.

'_That's more like it.'_

Abel blinked back from the fit that had taken over him. He felt infuriated, but also exhilarated. His urge was to join the men throwing each other around behind him. Another glass fell to the floor in the tight bar, and with beastly sharp senses he followed each bursting shard as they clinked across the splintered wooden floors. Within his core something trembled with vicious anxiety to exert his new strength. He hardly lost control, but this time it did not frighten him.

Leon caught the wild gleam in his eye, and mirrored it. He knocked his fist on the bar and held up four fingers. He did not intend on downing anymore, he wanted to stay sharp around this side of Abel. He knew that the alcohol itself had little to do with this sudden spark in his lifeless partner. This is what Abel kept pent up.

* * *

After the seventh shot, Abel was already flushed red down to his collar bones. His hair stuck on his sweaty skin, and what didn't was soaked into dull grey clusters with beer. The crowd of drunks sang along to every song that came over the blasting radio. Abel was found in fits of mad laughter that brought him to tears. Leon, sober, checked the clock on the wall. It had only taken two hours for him to effectively complete his mission, Abel was cured, at least until tomorrow morning.

"Leon! L-Leon!" Abel flung his glistening body on the bar in front of Leon, who was enjoying his secondhand high from him.

"I kissed her!" the blushing drunk giggled. Leon had no idea what he was talking about, but the heat that came off of his partner surprised him. He smelled rotten.

"I did it! How long…waited?" he trailed on in a childish squeak. He gave a very natural laugh, violently happy. Leon laughed vicariously through him. The giddy drunk wiped the hair from his forehead.

"Oh Leon." He sighed, throwing both legs onto the counter and lying down, propping his head up with his arms.

"I think she's…she's just…ugh!" he boomed in a throaty voice. Abel was effectively making a fool of himself, lying on his stomach and swinging his legs in the air. Leon saw he had gotten his wallet back, along with a few bruises along the way.

The darker AX agent gave a deep throaty laugh at seeing his partner so out of character.

"Regret this?" he yelled over the music.

"Hm?" Abel leaned his head in, cupping his ear with a sloppy grin on his face.

"Time to head back!" he yelled even louder.

Abel gave him a puppy-dog look, and then rolled back and forth on the narrow, kicking in disappointment. When he spotted the goofy man, the bartender gave him a strong shove, and the no longer shy X-priest slid like a sack of potatoes over the edge and plopped into his partner's lap, head bobbing to stay upright.

"Oookaay, let's go" Leon raised his eyebrow. He was the epitome of discomfort with Abel's dead weight on his lap. The stronger, sober priest slung Abel's limp arm over his shoulder and brought the man to his unsteady feet. Abel was too distracted chewing on a lock of his hair to bother walking. Leon struggled with his awkward height.

Frustrated, he settled for picking him up by his waist and draping the limp body over his shoulder. The silver-haired man made a dizzy 'woo' noise, muffled by the hair still in his mouth. As he stepped out of the bar with Abel over his shoulder, the crowd inside jeered and shoved. The street was mostly empty, but the man leaning against the lamppost in front of the bar gave him a long stare. The walk back was long. It wasn't going to be easy.

He as many shortcuts as possible, in alleys and jumping over short fences. Leon did not watch his step for Abel, who was bouncing with every hard hit of his boots on the stone. Every now and then he heard him mumble to himself, and more 'woos'.

Grinning like a child and sucking the sweat and beer from his hair, Abel slipped a drunk hand into Leon's rear trouser pocket. The man carrying him jumped, "Whoa!" Abel laughed at his reaction, eyes swimming from the jump he gave. He was punched in the gut by Leon's shoulder.

"Am I drunk?" he asked innocently in a high voice. Leon scoffed angrily at first, but couldn't help chuckle at his partner's absolute childishness.

"Thoroughly." He replied.

"Hmhmhm." Abel laughed in his throat. "Does this mean I'm happy?"

"It does for today." Leon kept walking. He did not expect the drunk on his shoulder to randomly roll out of his grip. Abel crumpled on the floor in front of him, tripping Leon.

They landed next to each other, Abel whining under his breath and Leon cursing loudly enough to wake every house on the emptying street.

"What the HELL are you thinking?" He yelled at Abel once he was able to climb to his feet. Gutter water ran down his back, soaking his clothes.

"Leon…" the withered man on the street whispered up at him through a web of tangled silver.

He replied furiously, "What?"

"Does this mean I'm free?" his voice was free of his childish giggles, serene. It was a voice void of emotion, but not mechanical. Had Abel finally crashed?

"Does this mean she'll accept me? If I'm happy…" Leon didn't have the slightest clue what he was mumbling about. But when did he? Everything that had come out of his mouth tonight was gibberish as far as he was concerned. He wondered what else he shed along with his inhibitions. Whatever he was slurring, must be very meaningful to him.

There was a deep nirvana in his voice. Leon looked down with both pity and respect for the man who had outlived war and reconstruction. The burdened soul who found peace on a filthy street in the aftermath of Armageddon he witnessed. Only after years of guilt and constant reminder of his sins, it moved him. He did not know anything of his past, or what could possibly plague the mind of someone that powerful. What do you say to someone who's heard it all? He couldn't possibly say anything that would suffice, but before he could open his mouth to try, he heard a quiet exhale, a snore. He'd fallen asleep.

"Now he crashes." Leon cracked his knuckles. "Why not a minute ago?"

Smiling with a tinge of sadness, he warmly picked up his sleeping partner and walked on gentle feet towards the Hotel Monarch.


End file.
